To ensure the safety of the nation’s cleaners — an estimated 150,000 of them — and to make sure that the cleaning occupation has a firm set of standard operating procedures (SOP), a chapter for “cleaning service certification standards” will be included in the draft of the environmental cleanliness and beautification promotion act, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) yesterday said.
Although the proposed act is still being researched and drafted, with many details yet to be discussed, the EPA’s Department of Environmental Sanitation and Toxic Substance Management Director-General Yuan Shaw-ying (袁紹英) yesterday said a three-tiered certification system is under consideration.
“Cleaning technicians [those who hold the profession’s certificates in the future] who wish to clean a more specialized type of environment — such as hospitals, which will involve the sorting and disposal of used needles and other biohazardous materials — will need a level-A certificate,” Yuan said.
Those participating in physically dangerous acts of cleaning — such as the exterior of high-rise buildings — will require a level-B certificate, adding that those performing more general cleaning jobs will require a level-C certificate.
The certificates will also be renewed on a yearly basis and cleaning technicians will be trained for a certain number of hours before having their licenses renewed, Yuan said.
“The training hours will not be so many that it will affect [the technicians’] jobs, but it will be beneficial to their job performance,” he said.
In countries such as the US and Japan, certification process for cleaners was initiated by the government or labor unions, Yuan said.
“We are looking to submit the draft to the Legislative Yuan during their meeting session in 2011; the regulation must be a law before we can impose penalties,” he said.
But even after the act is passed, the EPA will give current cleaners a six-month buffer period to obtain their licenses, he said.
The purpose of the act is two-fold, Yuan said. Not only will cleaners gain protection with the training, but also a single set of SOPs will make the whole field more professional, he said.
Yuan said that the new act would only affect cleaners working in hospitals, community buildings, offices, factory storage facilities, commercial or factory buildings and specialized buildings.
“If people wish to hire a domestic helper to clean their houses, the hiring will be solely based on the satisfaction of the employer; it will not be regulated by the new act,” he said.
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) is to begin his one-year alternative military service tomorrow amid ongoing legal issues, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. Wang, who last month was released on bail of NT$150,000 (US$4,561) as he faces charges of allegedly attempting to evade military service and forging documents, has been ordered to report to Taipei Railway Station at 9am tomorrow, the Alternative Military Service Training and Management Center said. The 33-year-old would join about 1,300 other conscripts in the 263rd cohort of general alternative service for training at the Chenggong Ling camp in Taichung, a center official told reporters. Wang would first
MINOR DISRUPTION: The outage affected check-in and security screening, while passport control was done manually and runway operations continued unaffected The main departure hall and other parts of Terminal 2 at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport lost power on Tuesday, causing confusion among passengers before electricity was fully restored more than an hour later. The outage, the cause of which is still being investigated, began at about midday and affected parts of Terminal 2, including the check-in gates, the security screening area and some duty-free shops. Parts of the terminal immediately activated backup power sources, while others remained dark until power was restored in some of the affected areas starting at 12:23pm. Power was fully restored at 1:13pm. Taoyuan International Airport Corp said in a
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