SINGAPORE — The number of major injuries reported in the manufacturing and construction sectors increased in the first half of 2023, even as the annualised major injuries rate held steady, according to the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) latest Workplace Safety and Health report.

There were 87 major injuries in the manufacturing industry, compared with 62 in the second half of last year. In the construction sector, there were 80 major injuries, up from 73 in the last six months of 2022, the report said on Thursday (Sept 28).

Out of the top seven sectors, one other sector — marine — saw an increase in the number of major injuries, from five to 12.

Fewer major injuries were reported in other industries — including transportation and storage as well as accommodation and food services — bringing the total number to 311, down from 316 in the second half of 2022.

The annualised major injury rate remained stable at 17.2 per 100,000 workers for the first half of 2023, compared with 17.3 in the second half of last year. 

Within the manufacturing sector, 38 fatal and major injuries came from metalworking, up from 18 incidents between July and December last year.

Metalworking has been a “perennial” subsector of concern, MOM said during a briefing with the media.

“In fact, we use business analytics at our back end, in order to be able to identify the manufacturing companies in metalworking with high risk of unsafe practices. We zoom in and conduct inspections at those places,” the ministry said.

Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad said the ministry is focusing on efforts to bring down fatal and major injuries in the manufacturing sector.

MOM said it will prioritise targeted inspections to detect and deter breaches in metalworking. A demerit point system will also take effect in the manufacturing sector from Oct 1.

"We hope that through measures like these, we are able to capture and cover a wider range of employers and worksites," Mr Zaqy told reporters after a site visit to Silesia Flavours South East Asia. He added that the demerit point system has business implications and sends a "strong signal" about safety culture. 

In the construction sector, 58 fatal and major injuries were reported from "smaller scale works" such as addition and alteration works, renovation and facility management in the first half of this year. This is higher than the 48 recorded in the previous six-month period.

The ministry said it will work with relevant agencies to enhance safety standards for contractors involved in smaller-scale construction activities.

“For larger construction sites, it’s easier for us to enforce, but because there are just so many smaller construction sites, our ability to enforce is limited,” said MOM. There are also plans to ramp up inspections, tighten safety standards and raise safety consciousness for smaller companies.

CAUSES OF INJURY

Type A incidents, which have a higher risk of fatality, accounted for 38 per cent of all major injuries in the first half of the year. Type A incidents include falls from height and vehicular-related incidents.

Common root causes of these injuries included inadequate fall prevention measures, unsafe worker behaviour and inadequate traffic management plans, said MOM.

Type B accidents, such as slips, trips and falls or machinery incidents, made up 62 per cent of major injuries. They may be caused by a lack of machine guarding, failure to provide anti-slip footwear or a lack of safety measures to manage the flow of goods, among other reasons.

MOM said the occupational diseases incidence rate increased to 37.2 per 100,000 workers in the first six months of 2023, up from 29.7 in the second half of last year.

“This increase was driven by the rise in reported noise-induced deafness cases due to ongoing enhanced workplace health surveillance efforts, which heightened awareness of reporting amongst doctors and employers and expanded the surveillance footprint,” the ministry said.

During a tour of Silesia Flavours, staff members showcased safety measures in the manufacturing facility, including a sound-proof cabinet for a milling machine and ear muffs for hearing protection. The company also has a machine to help lift boxes from the production line to reduce the risk of injury.

Mr Zaqy said the company management cares about workplace safety, noting that the firm has BizSafe level 4 certification. 

"That's really an attitude that we want to see from management — being aware, being enlightened, being able to think about the safety of their workers. I think that's one part which, you want to go beyond just the baseline," he said.

WORKPLACE FATALITY RATE

There were 14 workplace deaths in the first half of this year — a figure that was previously reported. This is slightly lower than the 18 deaths recorded in the second half of last year.

The annualised fatal injury rate also dropped in the first half of this year to 0.8 per 100,000 workers from 1.3 in the second half of last year.

“The improvements reflect the positive outcomes from the heightened safety period,” MOM said in a press release. The heightened safety period started in September last year and ended on May 31 this year.

“This also places Singapore back on track towards meeting our WSH2028 aspirations of a fatality rate below 1.0 per 100,000 workers.

“Based on our safety performance in the past three years, Singapore comes after the top four OECD countries,” the ministry said. The three-year average fatality rate is 1.1 per 100,000 workers.

But MOM also said every death is one too many. "Every fatality is a tragedy and there is a personal cost to the families. We will do what we can to bring the fatality rate down," the ministry added.

In the first half of 2023, falls from height, collapse or failure of structures and equipment and vehicular incidents were the top three causes of workplace fatalities.

The sectors that recorded the most workplace deaths were construction as well as transportation and storage.

MOM said it has started an enforcement operation from September to October that will cover high-risk sectors, focusing on vehicular safety and other areas of concern. CNA