New Accreditation Programme Raises Professionalism In Singapore's Waste Management Industry

The Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC) launches its new accreditation programme for Hook-Lift & Container Inspection for waste management on 7 May 2014 and it was announced on 3 June 2014 by Ms Grace Fu (Minister, Prime Minister's Office; and Second Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, and Foreign Affairs) at the Clean Environment Convention Opening Plenary. This programme is timely as demand for waste management is growing, with Singapore generating 7.85 million tonnes of waste in the last year alone. The programme will help to further improve productivity in the local solid waste management industry, which employs an estimated 12,000 staff.

The new accreditation programme has been developed to ensure that workshops have the capability in inspecting General Waste Collector (GWC) vehicles with hook-lift systems and open top containers to meet the necessary safety standards. Such workshops will be assessed on technical competency and having a robust quality management system before being accredited by the SAC. Inspections conducted by accredited workshops will ensure that the hook-lifts and open top containers mounted on refuse trucks are properly repaired and maintained.

Besides ensuring workplace safety, the accreditation of these workshops also aims to raise productivity by reducing possible disruptions when waste is disposed at the incineration plants.

"This new initiative will not only help to raise standards and productivity of the solid waste management industry in Singapore but will also help address the challenges that we face, such as scarcity of land, resources and manpower. NEA will continue to explore other ways to help the industry raise productivity levels, and enhance the efficiency and capabilities of our waste management systems," said NEA's Director General, Environmental Protection, Mr Koh Kim Hock.