Singapore sees low fatal injury rate, major injuries across key sectors
Singapore has made sustained progress in its workplace safety and health (WSH) performance during the first half of 2024, continuing the momentum achieved in 2023, according to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
The annualised fatal injury rate remained steady at 1.0 per 100,000 workers, a level first reached in 2023, placing Singapore among the few nations consistently achieving such low rates.
This performance aligns Singapore with top-ranking countries like the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Germany.
Source: Ministry of Manpower
Meanwhile, the annualised major injury rate for the first half of 2024 was 16.0 per 100,000 workers, according to MOM.
This figure is consistent with the 16.1 recorded in the second half of 2023 and marks an improvement from the 17.4 rate in the first half of 2023.
Safety performance for key sectors
Key sectors like Construction, Manufacturing, and Transportation & Storage have historically been the largest contributors to fatal and major injuries. However, the proportion of such injuries attributed to these sectors fell from 63% in the first half of 2023 to 54% in the same period of 2024.
The improvement is particularly significant in the Construction and Manufacturing sectors, which have implemented more rigorous safety measures and inspections.
Source: Ministry of Manpower
The Construction sector, while still the largest contributor to fatal and major injury incidents at 26%, saw a slight increase in incidents at larger-scale construction sites.
The number of fatal and major injuries in these locations rose from 28 in the first half of 2023 to 31 in 2024, though this remains significantly lower than the 43 incidents recorded in the first half of 2022.
WSH standards enhanced
MOM attributed the improvement to strengthened WSH standards introduced by the Multi-Agency Workplace Safety and Health Taskforce (MAST).
"These include enhanced WSH requirements for public sector construction and construction-related projects (implemented in April 2024), and mandatory video surveillance systems for construction worksites with contract values of $5 million and above (implemented in June 2024)," MOM said in a media release.
In the Manufacturing sector, the number of fatal and major injuries saw a more substantial reduction, dropping from 92 incidents in the first half of 2023 to 60 in the same period of 2024.
According to MOM, this reduction is largely attributed to stricter enforcement actions and the introduction of the Demerit Point System, which was implemented in October 2023.
Enforcement actions on WSH
Meanwhile, MOM took enforcement actions for more than 7,000 breaches under the WSH Act and Regulations.
This included 673 composition fines amounting to more than $1.3 million and the issuance of 22 Stop Work Orders.
"These actions were meted out to errant companies found to have contravened rules put in place to protect workers," MOM said.
Overall, over 3,000 inspections were carried out by MOM in the first half of 2024, targeting higher-risk sectors such as Construction, Manufacturing, and Marine.
The inspections focused on common hazards, including slips, trips, and falls, machinery safety, and falls from height.
"MOM calls on employers and workers to remain vigilant and prioritise WSH, particularly in light of recent fatal incidents in the Construction and Marine industries. MAST will continue to explore ways to further enhance WSH across all sectors."
