Workplace deaths dip to 17 for 1H 2019, more non-fatal injuries seen: MOM
SINGAPORE — The first half of this year saw a drop in workplace deaths but also a rise in non-fatal workplace injuries.
There were 17 workplace fatalities in 1H 2019, a dip from the 18 seen over the same period last year and down from the 23 seen in the second half of last year, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in a news release on Monday (30 September). The latest figure is the lowest since 2012, which is when the ministry began tracking fatality data for all workplaces.
MOM added that the 12-month rolling fatal injury rate as of end June remained at 1.2 per 100,000 employed persons, with no change seen from the period of end June last year to end December last year.
With regard to non-fatal workplace injuries, 1H 2019 saw 6,561 cases – an 8 per cent rise from the 6,073 cases seen over the same period last year.
Fatal falls a ‘key concern’
Falls from height caused four deaths in 1H 2019, one more than 1H 2018, with MOM highlighting that this area remained a “key concern”. Two of the deaths this year occurred within the construction industry.
Other leading causes of workplace deaths were vehicular-related incidents, with four deaths in 1H 2019 and 1H 2018, and the collapse or failure of structures or equipment, which saw three cases in 1H 2019 versus two in 1H 2018.
With regard to non-fatal workplace injuries, slips, trips and falls (STF) remained the top cause of major and minor injuries, said MOM. Major injuries due to STF dropped to 87 in 1H 2019, down from 111 in the same period last year. However, minor injuries caused by STF rose to 1,757 in 1H 2019 – 8 per cent higher than the 1,630 cases seen in 1H 2018.
“Although STF accidents can happen anywhere, simple control measures such as proper housekeeping can help to prevent STF,” said MOM.
The ministry added that closer attention should also be paid to machinery-related incidents, which account for the second most number of non-fatal workplace injuries. Major injuries arising from such incidents rose to 41 case in 1H 2019, up from 35 cases seen in 1H 2018, while minor injuries spiked from 956 cases in 1H 2018 to 1,066 cases in 1H 2019.
Rise in injuries in transportation, storage industries
MOM called for greater vigilance in the construction, manufacturing, transportation and storage industries, citing the number of injuries seen this year.
The construction and manufacturing sectors – the top two areas in terms of number of injuries – saw no significant improvement with both contributing 66 cases of fatal and major injuries in 1H 2019.
Meanwhile, the transportation and storage sectors saw 35 cases of deaths and major injuries in 1H 2019, up from the 22 cases seen in 1H 2018.
MOM noted that major injuries have also become more evenly spread, with more cases seen in 1H 2019 across traditionally lower-risk industries such as accommodation and food services (34 cases), wholesale and retail trade (21 cases), as well as professional services (10 cases).
8 dangerous occurrences
In terms of dangerous occurrences (DOs), which MOM defines as incidents involving a high potential for multiple fatalities, there were eight DOs in 1H 2019 – down from the 10 cases in 1H 2018.
“Five were due to collapse or failure of structures and equipment, while the other three were due to fires and explosions. The Construction industry remained the top contributor for the DOs (four cases),” said the ministry.
Regarding occupational diseases, the number of such cases fell to 263 in 1H 2019 from 295 in 1H 2018. The top three ODs seen this year were work-related musculoskeletal disorders (144 cases); noise-induced deafness (90 cases); and occupational skin diseases (23 cases).
Enforcement plans for 2H 2019
Over the first half of this year, MOM conducted about 2,500 inspections and uncovered over 4,300 workplace safety and health (WSH) violations. This led to 29 stop-work orders (SWOs) being issued, each lasting an average of four weeks.
“Composition fines amounting to a total of S$680,000 were imposed on close to 300 companies during this period,” added MOM.
Going forward, the ministry said it would be conducting another 2,500 inspections in the second half of this year and would be “targeting priority industries such as construction, manufacturing and transportation and storage”. It will also conduct 400 inspections in the sectors that saw a rise in major injuries.
“To address the rising number of non-fatal injuries, MOM is in the midst of implementing the recommendations of the WSH2028 Tripartite Strategies Committee to align WSH outcomes more closely to commercial interest and cultivate safety awareness among a more diverse range of industries,” said MOM.
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