19 workplace fatalities in first half of 2024, MOM reports

The construction, marine, transportation and storage, and manufacturing industries were responsible for 63 per cent of the 19 fatalities. In the construction sector alone, five workers lost their lives, down from seven fatalities in the first half of 2023 and 11 in the second half of that year. The marine industry saw four deaths in the first six months of 2024, despite no fatalities being recorded in 2023. The transportation and storage sector had two fatalities, down from five in the same period last year. One fatality occurred in the manufacturing sector, mirroring the number from the first half of 2023. In the water supply, sewerage, and waste management sector, three workers died, including two who inhaled poisonous fumes while cleaning tanks at PUB’s Choa Chu Kang Waterworks. There were no fatalities in this sector in 2023. As of September 2024, five more deaths were reported, bringing the total workplace fatalities for the year to at least 24. In comparison, 36 deaths were recorded in 2023. The most recent workplace fatality occurred on 29 September, when a 44-year-old Bangladeshi worker tragically lost his life in an accident at a construction site within Resorts World Sentosa (RWS). The worker was fatally struck by a collapsing steel structure during lifting operations. Two workers tragically lost their lives on 17 September following a heavy machinery accident at a North-South Corridor construction site along Lentor Avenue.

Singapore ranks fifth among Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, with a three-year average of 1.1 deaths per 100,000 workers. The Netherlands and United Kingdom lead with 0.4, followed by Sweden at 0.7 and Germany at 0.8.

Major Injuries Decline

There were 293 major injuries in the first half of 2024, down from 316 in the same period of 2023. These injuries, which include amputations, blindness, and paralysis, predominantly occurred in the construction and manufacturing industries. The main causes were slips, trips and falls; machinery incidents; and falls from a height. The manufacturing sector saw a significant 35 per cent reduction in fatalities and major injuries, with 60 incidents recorded in the first half of 2024 compared to 92 in the same period last year. The number of fatal and major injuries from metalworking also fell sharply, from 40 in 2023 to 22 in 2024. In the construction sector, fatalities and major injuries from smaller-scale works, such as renovations, decreased by 22 per cent, from 59 in 2023 to 46 in 2024. Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad attributed these improvements to the expanded demerit point system and increased surveillance. The system, introduced to the manufacturing sector in October 2023 after years of use in construction, penalises companies for safety violations, potentially barring them from hiring foreign workers for up to two years.

Minor Injuries and Occupational Diseases

In the first half of 2024, there were 10,379 minor injuries, a 4.8 per cent reduction from 10,897 in the same period of 2023. Slips, trips, falls, and machinery incidents were the leading causes. Meanwhile, the number of occupational diseases continued to drop, with 473 cases reported, down from 653 in 2023. MOM also reported 11 dangerous occurrences in the first half of 2024, fewer than the 12 in the same period last year. These incidents included the collapse of structures and equipment, as well as fires and explosions. MOM conducted over 3,000 inspections in various industries and took enforcement actions against more than 7,000 breaches, issuing 717 fines totalling more than $1.4 million and 22 stop-work orders.