Environmental Sanitation Regime
With the Environmental Sanitation Regime (ESR), let’s move towards a co-regulatory approach where all stakeholders take accountability and ownership of the environmental sanitation standards of their respective premises.
About ESR
What is the Environmental Sanitation Regime (ESR) & What’s In It For Me?
In Oct 2020, the Environment Public Health Act (EPHA) was amended to pave the way for the Environmental Sanitation Regime (ESR). Under the ESR, premises with occupants who have weak immunity systems (immuno-vulnerable persons) – like the elderly and children – and/or high footfall will be required to start adopting mandatory baseline environmental sanitation standards.
ESR is not an entirely new concept. It builts upon existing hygiene and sanitation measures already practised by the specified premises covered under ESR, and ensures that the same baseline standards is applied across the sector that the specified premises are located at. Premises are also free to implement higher cleaning standards based on their risk assessment of the areas in their compounds.
Each specified premises will be required to formulate and implement an Environmental Sanitation Programme (ESP), which will cover aspects like frequencies of regular and periodic cleaning of high touch surfaces in both frontline and back end areas of the premises, pest management protocols, logistics and manpower adequacy, SOPs to manage and clean up after incidents of spillage of bodily fluids (like vomit, defacation, urination or blood) and inspection schedules.
The formalisation of hygiene and sanitation measures will ensure that incidents like improper clean up of vomiting will not spiral out of control into major cases of food poisoning. The spread of diseases will also be mitigated when surfaces are cleaned and sanitised according to the right procedures, or when harbourage sites of pests are promptly cleared away.
When the ESR is implemented progressively to the specified premises of various sectors from mid-2021, Singaporeans will experience better sanitation standards in public dining places like the hawker centres and coffeeshops, with the assurance that the vulnerable members of our society will also be benefit from higher cleaning standards, both in the public places, as well as the homes and centres that they spend their daily lives in. Singapore will continue to be Clean and Green, with the added resilience to environmental public health threats.
Which Specified Premises Are Covered by Environmental Sanitation Regime (ESR)
The Environmental Sanitation Regime (ESR) will be implemented at welfare homes managed by MSF and non-healthcare nursing homes managed by MOH in July 2021. Pre-schools, MOE schools, hawker centres and coffeeshops will come onboard progressively from the end of 2021.
Who is Responsible for the Specified Premises?
Under the Environmental Sanitation Regime (ESR), Premises Managers of specified premises are required to appoint an Environmental Control Coordinator (ECC) to assist in overseeing the full cycle – develop, implement, monitor and review – of the Environmental Sanitation Programme (ESP) unique to their premises.
Their ESP will have to comply with the requirements through referencing from the baseline standards of their particular sector, which was in turn formulated by their sectoral leads through consultation with NEA.
Premises Manager
– Appoint a registered ECC
– Endorse and submit the specified premises’ ESP to NEA or authorised officers;
– Implement the ESP;
– Keep the ESP as record onsite;
– Support the professional development of the ECC
Environmental Control Coordinator (ECC)
– Attend and pass requisite training;
– Assist PM in developing, implementing, monitoring and reciewing the ESP;
– Flag out lapses to PM for recovery actions;
– Keep records of works/measures with respect to the ESP;
– Attend to NEA during compliance inspection
What Are The Components of the Environmental Sanitation Programme (ESP)?
Scope & Frequency of Cleaning & Disinfection
Premises will identify the inventory of areas within their compounds and determine the frequency of cleaning and disinfection on a daily and periodic basis. They will reference from the baseline standards that are specific to their sectors and, based on their risk assesment, determine if the inventory of areas require a higher frequency of cleaning and disinfection.
Inspection on Cleanliness
Inspection is recommended to be carried out immediately or soon after cleaning is completed. Minimally, ECCs have to visually inspect at least 10% of the areas listed in the ESP daily, and after periodic cleaning.
Inspection is not required during non-operational days and inspection can be done by premises staff on the ECC’s behalf.
Manpower, Equipment, Amenities, Cleaning Methodology & Cleaning Agents Used
Premises will also plan for and record their logistics needs in the ESP.
Pest Management
Premises are to identify their Pest Control Operator, ensure the comprehensive pest control survey is conducted every 6 months and record down any incidents of pest infestation.
Environmental Control Coordinators (ECCs)
While the Premises Manager is accountable for the implementation of the Environmental Sanitation Programme (ESP), most of the “legwork” will be carried out by the Environmental Control Coordinator (ECC). ECCs are required under EPHA to attend and pass a requisite training, which will qualify them to register with NEA as a registered ECC. Only then will an ECC be allowed to carry out the duties on the specified premises they are registered under.
ECCs will have to renew their certification once every 3 years. On top of that, the validity of the requisite training is 5 years. Thereafter, the ECC is required to undergo refresher training before they can renew their ECC registration.
ECC Registration
All ECCs must be registered with NEA. The registration must be renewed once every 3 years. ECCs must produce documentation which includes ECC training certification and English proficieny equivalent to Workplace Literacy (WPL) 5.
Attend Training
ECCs must attend and pass the requisite training before they can register as an ECC.
The following training providers provide ECC courses recognised by NEA:
- Ngee Ann Polytechnic
- Singapore Polytechnic
- Temasek Polytechnic
Training Validity
The training will be valid for 5 years. ECCs are required to complete a refresher training thereafter, should they want to continue their registration as an ECC with NEA.
Resources
Here are some of the resources / references that you can refer to in order to meet the Environmental Sanitation Regime (ESR) requirements for your specified premises.
Technical Guide
The Environmental Sanitation Technical Guide provides background on the importance of environmental sanitation – in infectious diseases prevention and control – and how specified premises can mitigate infections transmittable by contaminated surfaces, as well as manage pest infestations through good environmental sanitation.
Sector-specific Baseline Standards
The sector-specific baseline standards will be published when the ESR is implemented in July 2021.
Environmental Control Coordinators (ECC) Training Updates
Update 15 Dec 2021 : Jan and Feb 2022 classes open for registration! Total of 42 classes by NP, NTUC LearningHub and Xprienz. Register through the links in the table below!
Update 14 Oct 2021 : NP, TP and NTUC LearningHub opens more classes in Nov and Dec 2021 for registration! Register with the link in the table below!
Update 3 Sep 2021 : NTUC LearningHub opens 28 classes in Sep/Oct 2021 for registration! Register with the link in the table below!
Update 1 Sep 2021 : Xprienz and Ascendo Academy has been approved by SSG to start conducting ECC training!
Environmental Control Coordinators (ECC) Course Fees
Here is an overview of the course fees from all the schools offering the ECC course.
| Training Provider | Full Course Fees (w/o GST) | Full Course Fees (w GST) | SG/PR below 40yo / non-SMEs (w/o GST) | SG/PR below 40yo / non-SMEs (w GST) | SG/PR above 40yo / SMEs (w/o GST) | SG/PR above 40yo / SMEs (w GST) | Register Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singapore Polytechnic | $580.00 | $620.60 | $174.00 | $186.18 | $58.00 | $70.18 | https://www.sp.edu.sg/pace/courses/course-type/short-modular/open-for-register/environmental-control-coordinator-course |
| Ngee Ann Polytechnic | $500.00 | $535.00 | $150.00 | $160.50 | $50.00 | $60.50 | https://www.cet.np.edu.sg/courses/environmental-control-coordinator-course/ |
| Republic Polytechnic | $500.00 | $535.00 | $150.00 | $160.50 | $50.00 | $60.50 | https://www.rp.edu.sg/ace/short-course/Detail/environmental-control-coordinator-(ecc)-training |
| Temasek Polytechnic | $500.00 | $535.00 | $150.00 | $160.50 | $50.00 | $60.50 | https://www.tp.edu.sg/environmentalcontrol |
| ITE | $500.00 | $535.00 | $150.00 | $160.50 | $50.00 | $60.50 | Not available |
| NTUC LearningHub | $400.00 | $428.00 | $145.00 | $173.00 | $40.00 | $68.00 | https://www.ntuclearninghub.com/course/environmental-control-coordinator-ecc-course/ |
| Xprienz | $400.00 | $428.00 | $162.00 | $190.00 | $50.00 | $78.00 | https://www.xprienz.com/courses/environmental-control-coordinator/index.html |
| Ascendo Academy | $395.00 | $422.54 | $197.50 | $225.15 | $39.50 | $67.15 | https://www.ascendo.edu.sg/aboutus/l5bfr6wi_20210831110454000 |
| Aaarya Business College | $449.00 | $480.43 | $177.00 | $208.43 | $49.00 | $80.43 | https://www.abc.edu.sg/coursedetails/environmental-control-coordinator-ecc-course-synchronous-asynchronous |
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