NEA to promote Clean Mark-accredited companies

Companies with the Clean Mark stamp of approval can look forward to a good word from NEA when vying for cleaning contracts.

As part of efforts to get more cleaning companies to join the Clean Mark pilot scheme, the National Environment Agency plans to urge private sector companies to award cleaning jobs only to firms with such accreditation.

Already, the NEA has encouraged statutory boards and government ministries to hire such firms.

Launched in July 2010, the Clean Mark initiative aims to boost professionalism and service standards of the cleaning industry. So far, 42 out of the 1,400 companies in the industry have taken up the scheme.

Areas covered by the accreditation include training workers, logistical support and how well environmental health standards are maintained by workers at cleaning sites

The industry hires an estimated 140,000 cleaners. Depending on the type of work done, foreign workers comprise up to half of each firm’s staff strength.