In the first half of 2023 (H1 2023), Singapore’s annualised fatality rate per 100,000 workers decreased by 50% to a record-low 0.8.
In contrast, a rate of 1.6 was noted during the same time period in 2022, and a rate of 1.3 was noted during the second half of that year.
When compared to 17.3 for both H1 and H2 2022, the annualised serious injury rate in H1 2023 stayed constant at 17.2. The improvements, as the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) emphasised in its statement on the findings, are a result of the Heightened Safety Period, which was completed on May 31, 2023. The Ministry of Health continued, “This also puts Singapore back on track to meet its WSH2028 aspirations of a fatality rate below 1.0 per 100,000 workers.”
According to the document, Singapore behind the top four OECD nations in terms of safety performance during the previous three years.
Despite the foregoing, MOM stated that there is potential for improvement in the industrial and construction sectors, which together account for the majority of fatal and serious injuries.
In the construction industry, fewer people died at conventional building sites in H1 2023 than in H2 2022. However, smaller-scale construction projects like renovation, facility management, and addition & alteration still call for more focused interventions. MOM emphasised, adding that it will collaborate with relevant organisations and business to raise the bar for the safety of contractors engaged in such projects.
In contrast, H2 2023 experienced a general decline in deaths in the industrial sector. However, compared to H2 2022, there were more serious injuries, especially in the metalworking sub-sector.
In that vein, MOM reiterated that, as previously announced by the Multi-Agency Workplace Safety and Health Taskforce, the Demerit Point System will be extended from the construction industry to the manufacturing sector in October 2023. Targeted inspections will be given top priority by MOM in order to find and prevent violations in the metalworking industry.
