How to verify a Cleaner / Hygiene CV — official standards
Cleaner and Hygiene CVs (ISCO 9112 Cleaners, ISCO 5151 Cleaning supervisors) are hard to assess because most of the work leaves no diploma behind. Candidates write "experience in cleaning" without stating square metres, object type, shift model or which hygiene rules applied. Two CVs can look identical while one person cleaned offices and the other worked in a food production area under Reg. (EC) 852/2004.
There are concrete reference points: EN 13549 for measuring cleaning quality, Reg. (EC) 852/2004 for food areas, Directive 2009/104/EC for work equipment and height work, plus vocational proof such as NPK čistilec (SI), a hygiene minimum or disinfection training. A rigorous check maps every claim to one of these, then confirms the documents. WorkerProof verifies each CV three times and reports what is documented — it does not grant legal recognition of qualifications.
What a strong CV must contain
A strong CV states how cleaning quality was measured — sampling plans, acceptable-quality levels or inspection rounds under EN 13549. If the candidate worked for a professional cleaning company, client SLAs are usually built on that standard.
Work in kitchens, canteens or food production falls under Reg. (EC) 852/2004 hygiene rules on top of normal cleaning duties. The CV should name the object type and the hygiene regime, not just "industrial cleaning".
Scrubber-driers, single-disc machines, high-pressure units and elevated work are covered by Directive 2009/104/EC on work equipment. Expect named machine types and evidence of instruction or training in their safe use.
Look for NPK čistilec (SI), a hygiene minimum certificate, or disinfection training for healthcare environments. Note the issuing body and date — WorkerProof confirms the document exists and matches the claim.
Verified client references stating cleaned area in m², object type and contract duration turn a vague claim into a checkable one. Without them, "10 years of experience" cannot be sized or compared.
The building-cleaner profile includes cleaning surfaces, sorting waste, maintaining cleaning equipment, reporting major building repairs, reporting toilet-facility malfunctions and maintaining facility security systems. A credible CV shows these as concrete daily responsibilities.
⚠️ Red flags to watch for
Questions to ask the candidate
- 01Which quality control system was used on your last site — sampling plans, acceptable-quality levels or inspection rounds under EN 13549 — and what was your role in it?
- 02Have you cleaned food preparation or food production areas under Reg. (EC) 852/2004, and how did the hygiene rules change your working procedure?
- 03Which machines have you operated (scrubber-drier, single-disc, high-pressure), what instruction did you receive for them, and have you done work at height under Directive 2009/104/EC?
- 04Do you hold NPK čistilec, a hygiene minimum certificate or disinfection training for healthcare environments — and can you provide the certificate with issuer and date?
- 05Can you give two client references with object type, cleaned area in m² and contract duration that we may contact?
The official standards behind the score
WorkerProof checks every CV against this verified matrix.
- EN 13549 (cleaning services — quality measurement)
- Reg. (EC) 852/2004 (food-area hygiene)
- Directive 2009/104/EC (machines, height)
- NPK čistilec (SI), hygiene minimum
- Disinfection trainings (healthcare)
- Verified client references (m², duration)
Frequently asked questions
How do I check whether a cleaner really has hygiene training?
Ask for the certificate itself — hygiene minimum, disinfection training or NPK čistilec (SI) — with issuing body and date, then confirm it with the issuer. WorkerProof verifies each CV three times and reports which documents are confirmed and which claims remain unsupported.
What does EN 13549 mean on a cleaning CV?
EN 13549 is the European standard for objectively measuring cleaning quality, covering sampling plans, acceptable-quality levels and inspection systems. Professional cleaning companies build client SLAs on it, so a candidate who worked under such a system should be able to describe inspections and quality levels concretely.
Which rules apply when cleaning food areas?
Cleaning in food preparation and production areas falls under Reg. (EC) 852/2004 hygiene rules, in addition to the quality requirements measured via EN 13549. If a CV claims food-area work, the hygiene regime and object type should be stated explicitly.
How can I compare cleaning experience between candidates?
Use verified client references stating object type, cleaned area in m² and contract duration. These make workload comparable, whereas a stated number of years alone says nothing about the scope or environment of the work.
Does WorkerProof confirm that a foreign cleaning qualification is valid here?
No. WorkerProof verifies documents and CV claims against the standards in this matrix — EN 13549, Reg. (EC) 852/2004, Directive 2009/104/EC and vocational proof such as NPK čistilec — and reports what is documented. Legal recognition of a qualification is decided only by the competent authority.
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