The Environmental Management Association of Singapore (EMAS) recently held its 18th Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the York Hotel in Singapore.

EMAS president Chew Bong Kong was on hand to update its members on the activities of the past work year and the plans for the coming year. Among the activities presented to the members was an update on the setting up of three new sub-committees (Accreditation, ISSC and EMAS Website & Publicity) to address the issues of concern in the industry.

Chew explained that EMAS has been working with the relevant government departments to solicit support for an accreditation scheme for cleaning service providers. He urged the members to work together to realise such a scheme and to help professionalise the industry and tem the plunging prices in the market.

In an answer to a question from the floor, Chew said that the criteria are currently being refined and are targeted to be in place by the end of this year.

With the aim becoming a voice for the cleaning industry in Singapore, EMAS will be embarking on a membership drive. The office bearers also urged members present at the AGM to actively recruit new members into EMAS.

For the accreditation scheme to be successful we need a larger membership base, noted Chew. We want potential members to know there are many benefits of membership.

According to Chew, among the benefits are helping members to keep abreast of development in the cleaning industry, advice on contractual and legal aspects of new and existing projects, keeping the members informed on new regulations implemented and discounted rates for training and upgrading programmes.

To attract new members, EMAS intends to organise talks, seminars and training sessions and undertake activities to generate awareness of EMAS. It is also putting out a membership directory for 2005.

Environmental Management Association of Singapore (EMAS) spearheaded the pilot study of the benefits of implementing Performance Based Cleaning Standard based on TR 16:2003 – Technical Reference for Cleaning Performance for Public Housing Estates.

Three town councils – Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council, Hong Kah Town Council and East Coast Town Council will be piloting the use of TR 16, a benchmark and reference standard that specifies cleaning requirements and inspection criteria for the assessment of a cleaning job for public housing. With the use of TR16, Town Councils and cleaning service providers are encouraged to invest in automation, mechanisation and information technology so as to reduce the reliance on labour and yet achieve a more effective and efficient cleaning results.

In the pilot run, the three Town Councils, their respective cleaning service providers: Primech Services and Engineering Pte Ltd, Clean Solutions Pte Ltd and Ban Chuan Trading & Engineering Pte Ltd and with the support of EMAS, NEA and SPRING Singapore, will measure and qualify the benefits of implementing a performance-based cleaning system in public housing estates. The pilot study is assisted by the Students and Supervisors from Republic Polytechnic. A 3rd party consultant, United Premas Limited and i+o Asia (a partners of United Premas for the project) have been engaged to conduct the analysis.

The benefits will then be communicated to the rest of the cleaning industry to encourage other cleaning companies to adopt TR 16 as a measure of cleaning services.

EMAS was accepted as a Member Association of WFBSC in January 2018. The WFBSC is a dynamic union of national and international associations as well as individual contracting companies, manufacturers and suppliers from around the globe.

EMAS signed a MOU with SRAA on 14 November 2014. The objectives of both organisations are to promote Workplace safety and health of the cleaning and custodian workers. For the purposes of advancing and promoting mutual interests of parties particularly in training and continual education of engineering and workplace safety and health professionals. With this invaluable partnership, EMAS has been invited by SRAA to receive a memento at their Opening Ceremony on 14 November 2014 at Chevrons.

EMAS signed a MOU with RECC on 6 December 2006. The objectives of both organisations are to promote the professionalism of the cleaning and custodian workers.

The Building Custodian is a new job created by integrating Cleaning with minor repairs and replacement work; custodial checking and building defects. EMAS supports this Building Custodian training course to provide value-add environmental services to its members and industry players. EMAS will co-ordinate the cleaning, landscaping and pest control training aspects of the Building Custodian course and the other modules will be conducted by RECC.

With this invaluable partnership, EMAS has been invited by RECC to receive a memento as a supporter of the new Building Custodian project at their Opening Ceremony on 14 August 2007 at NTUC Centre.