SINGAPORE: Local fatal and serious workplace accidents reached a record low last year, according to the 2023 Workplace Safety and Health Report released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
The report highlights a significant decline in both fatal industrial accidents and serious injuries in the workplace, marking a positive trend in Singapore’s efforts towards ensuring a safer work environment.
In 2023, there were 36 fatal industrial accidents, translating to a rate of 0.99 fatalities per 100,000 employees. This marks a notable decrease from previous years and is below the target set by MOM to achieve one industrial accident death per 100,000 employees by 2028.
MOM reported that there were 590 work-related accidents resulting in serious injuries last year, equating to 16.1 serious injuries per 100,000 employees. This represents a decrease of 1.2 people year-on-year and signifies a 10-year low in serious workplace injuries.
Despite the overall decrease in fatalities and serious injuries, the total number of work-related injuries slightly increased to more than 22,000 cases in 2023, up from 21,000 cases in 2022. However, the injury rate per 100,000 employees only saw a marginal rise of 1.5% year-on-year, reaching 623 injuries per 100,000 employees.
The report also highlights a reduction in serious injuries and fatalities across high-risk sectors, including construction, manufacturing, and transportation and warehousing industries.
Particularly concerning was the manufacturing sector, which recorded the highest number of serious injury accidents, with 150 cases reported last year, a notable increase from the previous year.
In response to this, the Government will launch new measures in December this year to hold machine manufacturers and importers more accountable for workplace safety. These measures include the introduction of a points system for manufacturing violations and the strengthening of safety standards for equipment to mitigate the risk of accidents in the workplace.