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No. S 940

Environmental Public Health Act 1987

Environmental Public Health
(General Cleaning Industry)
(Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2023

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 111 of the Environmental Public Health Act 1987, the National Environment Agency, with the approval of the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, makes the following Regulations:

Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations are the Environmental Public Health (General Cleaning Industry) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2023 and come into operation on 1 January 2024.

Amendment of regulation 2

2. In the Environmental Public Health (General Cleaning Industry) Regulations 2014 (G.N. No. S 240/2014) (called in these Regulations the principal Regulations), in regulation 2 —

(a)

before the definition of “identification number”, insert —

“ “bizSAFE certification” means a certification issued by the Workplace Safety and Health Council under a programme known as the bizSAFE programme and implemented by the Workplace Safety and Health Council under section 40A(c) of the Workplace Safety and Health Act 2006;

“class 1 cleaning business licence” means the class 1 cleaning business licence mentioned in regulation 4(1)(a);

“class 2 cleaning business licence” means the class 2 cleaning business licence mentioned in regulation 4(1)(b);

“class 3 cleaning business licence” means the class 3 cleaning business licence mentioned in regulation 4(1)(c);

“Employment Claims Tribunal” means a subordinate court called an Employment Claims Tribunal constituted under section 4 of the State Courts Act 1970;”;

(b)

in the definition of “section 80H(2) Order”, replace the full‑stop at the end with a semi‑colon; and

(c)

after the definition of “section 80H(2) Order”, insert —

“ “Workplace Safety and Health Council” means the Workplace Safety and Health Council established under section 39 of the Workplace Safety and Health Act 2006.”.

Amendment of regulation 3

3. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 3, after paragraph (2), insert —

“(3) The Director‑General may, in any particular case or class of cases, waive or reduce the whole or any part of any fee payable under paragraph (1).”.

Replacement of regulation 4

4. In the principal Regulations, replace regulation 4 with —

“Prescribed requirements for application for cleaning business licence

4.—(1) On or after 1 January 2024, the classes of cleaning business licences mentioned in section 80G(4A) of the Act that may be granted or renewed under the Act are as follows:

(a)	class 1 cleaning business licence;
(b)	class 2 cleaning business licence;
(c)	class 3 cleaning business licence.

(2) For the purposes of section 80G(4)(g) of the Act —

(a)	the prescribed requirements for an application for the grant or renewal of a class 1 cleaning business licence are specified in Part 2 of the Second Schedule;
(b)	the prescribed requirements for an application for the grant or renewal of a class 2 cleaning business licence are specified in Part 3 of the Second Schedule; and
(c)	the prescribed requirements for an application for the grant of a class 3 cleaning business licence are specified in Part 4 of the Second Schedule.”.

Amendment of regulation 6

5. In the principal Regulations, in regulation 6 —

(a)

in paragraph (1), delete sub‑paragraph (a);

(b)

in paragraph (2)(c), delete “and” at the end;

(c)

in paragraph (2)(d)(vi), replace the full‑stop at the end with “; and”;

(d)

in paragraph (2), after sub‑paragraph (d), insert —

“(e)	where the licensee is a holder of a class 1 cleaning business licence or class 2 cleaning business licence, a copy of every bizSAFE certification that the licensee holds on or after 1 January 2024.”;

(e)

in paragraph (3)(c), delete “and” at the end;

(f)

in paragraph (3)(d), replace the full‑stop at the end with “; and”;

(g)

in paragraph (3), after sub‑paragraph (d), insert —

“(e)	in the case of a bizSAFE certification specified in paragraph (2)(e) — 4 years after the date on which the bizSAFE certification expires.”; and

(h)

after paragraph (3), insert —

“(4) In addition to paragraph (1), where the licensee holds a class 1 cleaning business licence —

(a)

during the validity of its cleaning business licence, the licensee must not have —

(i)	been convicted of any offence under the Act, the Central Provident Fund Act 1953, the Employment Act 1968, the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990 or the Workplace Safety and Health Act 2006; or
(ii)	failed to comply with any order made by an Employment Claims Tribunal under section 22 of the Employment Claims Act 2016; and

(b)

the licensee must ensure that at all times during the validity period of the cleaning business licence, the licensee holds a valid bizSAFE Certificate of level 3 or a higher level.

(5) In addition to paragraph (1), where the licensee holds a class 2 cleaning business licence —

(a)

where the licensee was required to satisfy the requirement in paragraph 3(b) or 4(b)(ii) of Part 3 of the Second Schedule in respect of the grant or renewal of the class 2 cleaning business licence — the licensee must ensure that at all times during the validity period of the cleaning business licence, at least one of the licensee’s officers or employees has the practical experience or qualification mentioned in that paragraph; and

(b)

the licensee must ensure that at all times during the validity period of the cleaning business licence, the licensee holds a valid bizSAFE Certificate of level 3 or a higher level.

(6) In addition to paragraph (1), where the licensee holds a class 3 cleaning business licence and was required to satisfy the requirement in paragraph 2(b) or 3(b)(ii) of Part 4 of the Second Schedule in respect of the grant of a class 3 cleaning business licence, the licensee must ensure that at all times during the validity period of the cleaning business licence, at least one of the licensee’s officers or employees has the practical experience or qualification mentioned in that paragraph.”.

New regulations 7 and 8

6. In the principal Regulations, after regulation 6, insert —

“Renewal of cleaning business licence

7. For the purposes of section 80I(1A) of the Act, a class 3 cleaning business licence cannot be renewed upon its expiry.

Pending application for cleaning business licence before 1 January 2024

8. For the purposes of section 30(2) of the Environmental Public Health (Amendment) Act 2023, an application for a cleaning business licence that —

(a)	is made under section 80F of the Act as in force immediately before 1 January 2024; and
(b)	is pending on that date,

is treated as an application for a class 3 cleaning business licence.”.

Replacement of Second Schedule

7. In the principal Regulations, replace the Second Schedule with —

“SECOND SCHEDULE

Regulations 4(2) and 6(5)(a) and (6)

Part 1

DEFINITIONS

In this Schedule —

“applicant” means an applicant for the grant or renewal of a cleaning business licence;

“company” means a company registered under the Companies Act 1967;

“financial statements”, in relation to an applicant, means —

(a)	where the applicant is a company — the financial statements of the applicant that are prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 1967;
(b)	where the applicant is a limited liability partnership — the accounts and records of the applicant that are kept in accordance with the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2005;
(c)	where the applicant is a society — the accounts and records of the applicant that are kept in accordance with the Societies Act 1966; or
(d)	where the applicant is a sole proprietorship or firm — the balance‑sheet, profit and loss statement and cash flow statement of the applicant for or covering the period concerned;

“financial year” means the period in respect of which the financial statements of a person who carries on a business are made up, whether the period is a year or not;

“firm” means a firm registered under the Business Names Registration Act 2014;

“limited liability partnership” means a limited liability partnership registered under the Limited Liability Partnerships Act 2005;

“net worth” has the meaning given by section 80G(8) of the Act;

“officer” —

(a)	in relation to a body corporate — means any director, partner, member of the committee of management, chief executive, manager, secretary or other similar officer of the body corporate;
(b)	in relation to a partnership — means any partner;
(c)	in relation to a sole proprietorship — means the sole proprietor; or
(d)	in relation to a society — means any member of the committee of the society;

“SkillsFuture Singapore Agency” means the body that is established by section 3 of the SkillsFuture Singapore Agency Act 2016;

“society” means a society registered under the Societies Act 1966;

“sole proprietorship” means a sole proprietorship registered under the Business Names Registration Act 2014.

Part 2

PRESCRIBED REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION FOR GRANT
OR RENEWAL OF CLASS 1 CLEANING BUSINESS LICENCE

1. The applicant has a paid‑up capital of at least $250,000 or (where the applicant is not a company) the applicant has a net worth of not less than $250,000, for the financial year immediately preceding the date of the application.

2. The applicant holds a bizSAFE Certification of level 3 or a higher level.

3. During the period of 24 months immediately before the date of application, the applicant has not —

(a)	contravened or breached any provision of the Act;
(b)	been convicted of any offence under the Central Provident Fund Act 1953, the Employment Act 1968, the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990 or the Workplace Safety and Health Act 2006; or
(c)	failed to comply with any order made by an Employment Claims Tribunal under section 22 of the Employment Claims Act 2016.

4. Where the application is for the grant of a class 1 cleaning business licence, during the period of 12 months immediately before the date of the application —

(a)	where the applicant was exempt from the requirement to hold a cleaning business licence, the applicant had performed or started performing at least one cleaning contract; or
(b)	in any other case, the applicant had performed or started performing at least one cleaning contract under a valid cleaning business licence.

5. Where the application is for the renewal of a class 1 cleaning business licence, the applicant satisfies both of the following conditions:

(a)	during the validity period of the cleaning business licence that is the subject of the application for renewal, the applicant has complied with all the licence conditions of that cleaning business;
(b)	during the period of 12 months immediately before the date of the application, the applicant had performed or started performing at least one cleaning contract under the cleaning business licence that is the subject of the application for renewal.

Part 3

PRESCRIBED REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION FOR GRANT
OR RENEWAL OF CLASS 2 CLEANING BUSINESS LICENCE

1. The applicant has a paid‑up capital of at least $25,000 or (where the applicant is not a company) the applicant has a net worth of not less than $25,000, for the financial year immediately preceding the date of the application.

2. The applicant holds a bizSAFE Certification of level 3 or a higher level.

3. Where the application is for the grant of a class 2 cleaning business licence, the applicant satisfies either of the following conditions:

(a)

during the period of 12 months immediately before the date of the application —

(i)	where the applicant was exempt from the requirement to hold a cleaning business licence, the applicant had performed or started performing at least one cleaning contract; or
(ii)	in any other case, the applicant had performed or started performing at least one cleaning contract under a valid cleaning business licence;

(b)

as at the date of the application, the applicant has at least one officer or employee who —

(i)

has at least 2 years of practical experience in supervising cleaning work; or

(ii)

has been certified by the SkillsFuture Singapore Agency for attending —

(A)	at least one training module under the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) System that is specified in Division 1 of Part 5 of this Schedule; and
(B)	at least one training module under the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) System that is specified in Division 2 of Part 5 of this Schedule.

4. Where the application is for the renewal of a class 2 cleaning business licence, the applicant satisfies both of the following conditions:

(a)

during the validity period of the cleaning business licence that is the subject of the application for renewal, the applicant has complied with all the licence conditions of that cleaning business;

(b)

either —

(i)

during the period of 12 months immediately before the date of the application, the applicant has performed or started performing at least one cleaning contract under the cleaning business licence that is the subject of the application for renewal; or

(ii)

as at the date of the application, the applicant has at least one officer or employee who —

(A)

has at least 2 years of practical experience in supervising cleaning work; or

(B)

has been certified by the SkillsFuture Singapore Agency for attending —

(BA)	at least one training module under the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) System that is specified in Division 1 of Part 5 of this Schedule; and
(BB)	at least one training module under the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) System that is specified in Division 2 of Part 5 of this Schedule.

Part 4

Prescribed requirements for application for grant
of class 3 cleaning business licence

1. As at the date of the application, the applicant has not been previously granted a class 1 cleaning business licence, class 2 cleaning business licence or class 3 cleaning business licence.

2. The applicant satisfies either of the following, whichever is applicable:

(a)

where —

(i)	as at the date of the application, the applicant holds a cleaning business licence that was granted under section 80G(1) of the Act as in force immediately before 1 January 2024; or
(ii)	the applicant has previously held a cleaning business licence mentioned in sub‑paragraph (i),

the applicant satisfies the conditions in paragraph 3;

(b)

in any other case — the applicant has at least one officer or employee who —

(i)

has at least 2 years of practical experience in supervising cleaning work; or

(ii)

has been certified by the SkillsFuture Singapore Agency for attending —

(A)	at least one training module under the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) System that is specified in Division 1 of Part 5 of this Schedule; and
(B)	at least one training module under the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) System that is specified in Division 2 of Part 5 of this Schedule.

3. For the purposes of paragraph 2(a), the conditions are —

(a)

during the validity period of the cleaning business licence mentioned in paragraph 2(a)(i) or (ii), the applicant has complied with all the licence conditions of the cleaning business licence; and

(b)

the applicant satisfies either of the following conditions:

(i)

during the period of 12 months immediately before the date of the application, the applicant had performed or started performing at least one cleaning contract under a valid cleaning business licence;

(ii)

as at the date of the application, the applicant has at least one officer or employee who —

(A)

has at least 2 years of practical experience in supervising cleaning work; or

(B)

has been certified by the SkillsFuture Singapore Agency for attending —

(BA)	at least one training module under the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) System that is specified in Division 1 of Part 5 of this Schedule; and
(BB)	at least one training module under the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) System that is specified in Division 2 of Part 5 of this Schedule.

Part 5

Division 1

Technical skills and competency title

Competency code

1.	Supervising service operations

CLG‑SS‑301C‑1

2.	Customer management

EVS‑PDV‑3005‑1.1

Division 2

Technical skills and competency title

Competency code

1.	Demonstrate and apply understanding of cleaning methods and processes

CLG‑SS‑304C‑1

2.	Effectiveness management

EVS‑PDV‑3002‑1.1

”.

[G.N. Nos. S 1023/2022; S 459/2023]

Made on 20 December 2023.

LEE CHUAN SENG

Chairperson,
National Environment Agency,
Singapore.

[MSE/C030/01/101; NEA/LD/42; AG/LEGIS/SL/95/2020/26 Vol. 1]

(To be presented to Parliament under section 111(4) of the Environmental Public Health Act 1987).