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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Elementary Occupational Certificate:Healthcare Cleaner 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
124935  Elementary Occupational Certificate:Healthcare Cleaner 
ORIGINATOR
Development Quality Partner-Services SETA 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
-   OQSF - Occupational Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Elementary Occupational Cert  Field 11 - Services  Cleaning, Domestic, Hiring, Property and Rescue Services 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  120  Not Applicable  NQF Level 02  Regular-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered  EXCO 0435/25  2025-10-02  2030-10-02 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2031-10-02   2034-10-02  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This qualification replaces: 
Qual ID Qualification Title Pre-2009 NQF Level NQF Level Min Credits Replacement Status
118730  Occupational Certificate: Healthcare Cleaner  Not Applicable  NQF Level 02  120  Complete 

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Purpose:
The purpose of the Elementary Occupational Certificate: Healthcare Cleaner is to prepare a learner to operate as a Healthcare Cleaner.
A Healthcare Cleaner performs cleaning tasks in medical facilities to achieve a clean, hygienic, and safe environment within the context of the prevention of the spread of infections and diseases.

A qualified learner will be able to:
  • Apply personal hygiene and workplace safety standards.
  • Clean and disinfect healthcare environments.
  • Clean textile surfaces and hospital privacy curtains.

    Completing this qualification will benefit by becoming more employable as healthcare cleaners in both public and private facilities, such as hospitals, clinics, veterinary clinics, dental and medical consulting rooms, frail care and old age homes, sick bays, and first aid rooms.

    A qualified learner will demonstrate the following key attributes: problem solving and identification, decision making, communicating information, and applying appropriate methods and techniques.

    Rationale:
    Elementary Occupational Certificate: Healthcare Cleaner responds to a specific need in the South African cleaning and healthcare industries to provide a standard for the development of persons employed or to be employed as a healthcare cleaner in both public and private facilities such as hospitals, clinics, veterinary clinics, dental and medical consulting rooms, frail care and old age homes, sick bays, and first aid rooms. Effective cleaning and Hygiene standards are one of the most important factors in the control and containment of the spread of disease-causing illnesses within healthcare facilities. This qualification was developed to meet these needs.

    Healthcare cleaners play a crucial role in maintaining hygiene and safety in medical facilities, delivering significant benefits to the sector, society, and the economy:

    Benefit to the sector:
  • Proper cleaning and disinfection prevent healthcare-associated infections, reducing complications and ensuring better patient outcomes.
  • Cleaner environments contribute to faster recovery times and lower rates of readmission, improving the overall efficiency and reputation of healthcare facilities.
  • Compliance with health and safety regulations, supported by the work of cleaners, ensures facilities avoid penalties and maintain operational standards.

    Benefit to society:
  • By preventing the spread of infections, healthcare cleaners enhance public health, supporting efforts to control outbreaks and reduce disease transmission in the broader community.
  • Their work contributes to a safer and healthier environment for patients, staff, and visitors, fostering trust in healthcare systems.

    Benefit to the economy:
  • Reduced healthcare-associated infections lower the financial burden on healthcare systems, with fewer extended hospital stays and reduced need for costly treatments.
  • A healthier workforce in healthcare facilities leads to increased productivity and reduced absenteeism.
  • The demand for healthcare cleaners creates employment opportunities, supports livelihoods, and stimulates local economies.

    No other national qualification that provides the requisite knowledge and skills for the performance of healthcare services is currently registered on the NQF.

    Stakeholders from different associations and organisations operating within the healthcare sector participated in the review of the qualification.
    Typical learners include school leavers with an NQF Level 1 qualification interested in working in a healthcare environment, or people who have been working in the healthcare environment without formal qualifications and have the desire to formalise their skills and knowledge. Healthcare Cleaners will be able to find employment as hospital cleaners, ward cleaners, low and medium-risk area cleaners, and medical facility cleaners. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
    RPL for Access to Training:
    Learners may use the RPL process to gain access to training opportunities for a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification or skills programme if they do not meet the formal, minimum entry requirements for admission. RPL assessment provides an alternative access route into a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification, or skills programme.

    Such an RPL assessment may be developed, moderated and conducted by the accredited Skills Development Provider which offers that specific qualification/part qualification/skills programme. Such an assessment must ensure that the learner is able to display the equivalent level of competencies required for access, based on the NQF level descriptors.

    RPL for exemption from modules:
    For exemption from modules through RPL, learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification or skills programme through any means of formal, informal or non-formal learning and/or work experience, may be awarded credits towards relevant modules, and gaps identified for training, which is then concluded.

    RPL for Access to the External Integrated Summative Assessment (EISA):
    Learners who have gained the stipulated competencies of the modules of a programme of learning, qualification, part-qualification or skills programme through any means of formal, informal or non-formal learning and/or work experience, may be awarded credits towards relevant modules, and gaps identified for training, which is then concluded.

    A valid Statement of Results is required for admission to the EISA in which confirmation of achievement is provided that all internal assessment criteria for all modules in the related curriculum document have been achieved.

    Upon successful completion of the EISA, RPL learners will be issued with the QCTO certificate for the qualification, part-qualification or skills programme. Quality Partners are responsible for ensuring the RPL mechanism and process for qualifications and part-qualification is approved by the QCTO.

    Entry Requirements:
  • An NQF Level 1 qualification. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    This qualification is made up of compulsory Knowledge, Practical Skill and Work Experience Modules:

    Knowledge Modules:
  • 811202-000-01- KM-01, Introductory Studies for Healthcare Cleaners, NQF Level 2, 3 Credits.
  • 811202-000-01- KM-02, Business Communication, Ethics, and Professionalism, NQF Level 2, 6 Credits.
  • 811202-000-01- KM-03, Healthcare Cleaning Associated Biology and Infection Control, NQF Level 2, 7 Credits.
  • 811202-000-01- KM-04, Personal Hygiene and Workplace Safety, NQF Level 2, 6 Credits.
  • 811202-000-01- KM-05, Healthcare Waste Handling, NQF Level 2, 4 Credits.
  • 811202-000-01- KM-06, Healthcare Cleaning Principles, NQF Level 2, 15 Credits.

    Total number of credits for Knowledge Modules: 41

    Practical Skill Modules:
  • 811202-000-01-PM-01, Maintain Personal Hygiene and Safety, NQF Level 2, 1 Credit.
  • 811202-000-01-PM-02, Use, Care for and Store Cleaning Equipment and Dispose of Waste, NQF Level 2, 2 Credits.
  • 811202-000-01-PM-03, Clean and Disinfect Floors and Above Floor Surfaces in Various Risk Areas, NQF Level 2, 10 Credits.
  • 811202-000-01-PM-04, Clean and Disinfect Restroom Areas, and Replenish Consumables, NQF Level 2, 4 Credits.
  • 811202-000-01-PM-05, Clean Carpets and Upholstery, NQF Level 2, 4 Credits.
  • 811202-000-01-PM-06, Remove and Replace Privacy Curtains, NQF Level 2, 2 Credits.

    Total number of credits for Practical Skill Modules: 23

    Work Experience Modules:
  • 811202-000-01- WM-01, Processes Related to Personal Hygiene and Workplace Safety Standards, NQF Level 2, 6 Credits.
  • 811202-000-01- WM-02, Processes Related to the Cleaning and Disinfecting of Healthcare Environments, NQF Level 2, 34 Credits.
  • 811202-000-01- WM-03, Processes Related to the Cleaning of Textile Surfaces and Privacy Curtains, NQF Level 2, 16 Credits.

    Total number of credits for Work Experience Modules: 56 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Apply knowledge and skills in relation to safety to maintain workplace hygiene and safety standards in a disciplined, well-structured and supervised environment.
    2. Apply knowledge and skills to maintain hygienic cleaning standards in various healthcare environments in a well-structured and supervised operating environment.
    3. Clean carpets and textile upholstery in healthcare environments using knowledge, skills, and equipment to ensure cleanliness and hygiene.
    4. Remove and replace privacy curtains in healthcare environments while observing infection control principles. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
    ELO 1: Apply knowledge and skills in relation to safety to maintain workplace hygiene and safety standards in a disciplined, well-structured and supervised environment.
  • Correctly select and place wet floor warning signs.
  • Correctly identify and use electrical cleaning.
  • Correctly select dilute cleaning chemicals.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
    ELO 2: Apply knowledge and skills to maintain hygienic cleaning standards in various healthcare environments in a well-structured and supervised operating environment.
  • Correctly identify and perform floor surfaces are assessed and procedures to follow are correctly identified and performed.
  • Correctly identify and perform above floor surfaces are assessed and procedures to follow.
  • Clean and sanitise restroom areas in accordance with cleaning principles.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
    ELO 3: Clean carpets and textile upholstery in healthcare environments using knowledge, skills, and equipment to ensure cleanliness and hygiene.
  • Clean carpets following standard operating procedures.
  • Clean textile upholstery following standard operating procedures.
  • Select cleaning methods based on the type of textile and level of soiling.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:
    ELO 4: Remove and replace privacy curtains in healthcare environments while observing infection control principles.
  • Identify and observe infection control principles related to privacy curtains in accordance with protocols.
  • Safely remove privacy curtains in accordance with infection control principles and safety precautions.
  • Safely replace privacy curtains in accordance with infection control principles and safety precautions.

    Integrated Assessment:
    Integrated Formative Assessment:
    Formative assessments are conducted throughout the training of learners. A range of formal, non-formal, and informal ongoing assessment activities are used to focus on teaching and learning outcomes to improve learner attainment.

    Formative assessments are conducted continuously by the facilitator to feed into further learning, to identify strengths and weaknesses, and to ensure the learner's ability to apply knowledge, skills and workplace experience gained.
    Formative Assessments are conducted by the accredited Skills Development Provider (SDP), and a variety of ongoing assessment methods may be used, for example, quizzes, assignments, tests, scenarios, role play, interviews. Continuous feedback must be provided.

    Integrated Summative Assessment:
    Integrated Assessment involves all the different types of assessment tasks required for a particular qualification, part-qualification or occupational skills programme, such as written assessment of theory and practical demonstration of competence. To achieve this, the Internal Assessment Criteria (IAC) for all modules as found in the QCTO curriculum document must be followed.

    An accredited SDP should implement a well-designed, formal, relevant, final internal Summative Assessment strategy for all modules to prepare learners for the EISA. These assessments evaluate learning achievements relating to the achievement of each module of the relevant components of the qualification, part-qualification or skills programme.

    Internal Summative Assessments are developed, moderated and conducted by the SDP at the end of each module or after integration of relevant modules, e.g. applied knowledge tests, workplace tasks, practical demonstrations, simulated tasks/demonstrations, projects, case studies, etc.

    External Integrated Summative Assessment:
    The results of these final formal summative assessments must be recorded. These results, which include the Statement of Work Experience results, where applicable, contribute to the Statement of Results (SoR) that is a requirement for admission to EISA. An SoR, using the template provided by the Quality Partner, is issued by the accredited SDP for qualifications and part-qualifications. The SDP must produce a valid Statement of Results for each learner, indicating the final result and the date on which the competence in each module, of each component, was achieved. Learners are required to produce this SoR, together with their ID document or alternative ID document, at the point of the EISA. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    The Elementary Occupational Certificate: Healthcare Cleaner has been compared with healthcare cleaning standards in Canada and England:

    Country: Canada
    Institution: The Department of Indigenous Services (ISC)

    Pupose/rationale;
    The Department of Indigenous Services (ISC) of Canada has set standards for cleaning practices in health centres. These standards are recommended for routine cleaning practices for use in hospitals and health centres to reduce the spread of germs (microorganisms) and the risk of transmission of infections from both recognised and unrecognised sources by breaking the chain of infections.

    The standards address the following:
  • Routine cleaning practices.
  • The chain of infection.
  • Handwashing.
  • Personal Protective Equipment.
  • Cleaning and frequency of cleaning.
  • Disinfectants and cleaning with disinfectants.
  • Necessary equipment.
  • Care of the mobile cleaning cart.
  • Safe handling of garbage.
  • Safe handling of sharps, including needles, syringes and broken glass.
  • Cleaning blood or a spill of body fluids.
  • Medical and hazardous waste.
  • Health centre cleaning schedules.

    Similarities:
  • The content outlined in the Elementary Occupational Certificate: Healthcare Cleaner is similar to the Canadian standards as most of the Canadian standards are also covered by the South African qualification.

    Differences:
  • The content outlined in the Elementary Occupational Certificate: Healthcare Cleaner differ from the Canadian standards as health centre cleaning schedules and frequency of cleaning are not covered. The Canadian standards are also not specific in relation to the cleaning of specified areas.

    Country; England
    Institution: The National Health Service (NHS)

    Purpose/Rationale:
    The National Health Service (NHS), in Great Britain, published the National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2021. These standards apply to all healthcare settings in England, regardless of how cleaning services are provided. The national standards apply to all healthcare settings - acute hospitals, mental health, community, primary care, dental care, ambulance trusts, GP surgeries and clinics, and care homes, regardless of the way cleaning services are provided. They provide a common understanding of what it means to be a clean healthcare setting and give healthcare organisations in England a framework for detailing the required cleaning services and how 'technical' cleanliness and the efficacy of the cleaning process should be assessed. The standards cover various aspects, including definitions of cleaning and disinfection, choice of cleaning agents, contact time, and cleaning responsibilities.

    To adhere to these standards, the National Patient Safety Agency published the NHS Cleaning Manual. This manual contains method statements for various tasks performed by cleaning staff, as opposed to nursing or departmental staff.
    The method statements deal with tasks related to:
  • Floor cleaning (including carpet cleaning).
  • General cleaning (above floor surfaces).
  • Cleaning with microfibre cloths.
  • Ward pantry cleaning.
  • Washroom cleaning.
  • Sanitary cleaning.
  • Cleaning with pressurised steam.
  • Specialised cleaning tasks.

    Similarities:
  • The content outlined in the Elementary Occupational Certificate: Healthcare Cleaner is similar to the NHS standards and guidelines, as most of the NHS standards are also covered by the South African qualification.

    Differences:
  • The content outlined in the Elementary Occupational Certificate: Healthcare Cleaner differ from the NHS standards and guidelines as cleaning with pressurised steam is not covered. The South African qualification also covers the handling of privacy curtains, which is not addressed by the NHS standards and guidelines.

    Conclusion:
    In general, the Elementary Occupational Certificate: Healthcare Cleaner compares well with the Canadian standards and the NHS standards and guidelines in terms of coverage. 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This qualification provides opportunities for horizontal and vertical articulation options.

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Occupational Certificate: Home-Based Personal Care Assistant, NQF Level 2.
  • National Certificate: Vocational, NQF Level 2.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Intermediate Occupational Certificate: Cleaning Practitioner, NQF Level 3.

    Diagonal Articulation:
  • National Certificate: Vocational: NQF Level 3. 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    N/A 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    N/A 

    NOTES 
    Additional Legal or Physical Entry Requirements:
  • None.

    Criteria for the accreditation of providers
    The curriculum title and code are: Elementary Occupational Certificate: Healthcare Cleaner: 811202-000-01-00.

    Encompassed Trade:
  • None.

    Assessment Quality Partner (AQP)
  • Services SETA. 
    		•

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    When qualifications are replaced, some (but not all) of their learning programmes are moved to the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replaced qualification.
     
    NONE 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    NONE 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.