Code blue: Workplace injuries surge 10.4%

Occupational diseases also rose 67.5% to 603 cases.

According to Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Statistics Report released by the WSH Council and WSH Institute, the first half of this year saw 26 workplace fatal injuries, down from 31 in the same period last year, according to the latest.

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Major injuries registered a slight drop at 3%, contributing to a 6% reduction in man-days lost due to work incidents. Overall workplace injuries, however, increased by 10.4%. This was mainly contributed by an increase of 11.3% in minor injuries which form the bulk of reported cases.

Occupational diseases (ODs) also rose to 603, an increase from 360 over the same period last year. This rise was primarily due to efforts to address potential underreporting of workplace health concerns in Singapore’s workplaces.

The three traditional high-risk sectors (Construction, Marine and Manufacturing) saw a reduction from 25 fatalities last year to 17 fatalities in the same period this year. These spanned across multiple accident types, indicating a need to look into various high risk work areas such as working at heights, crane activities and work that involved vehicles or machines.

Overall, the three sectors saw an increase in major injuries (about 8%)4 and minor injuries (about 25%). Together, they account for 56% of major injuries which have the potential to escalate into more severe conditions like fatalities.

Therefore, there is a need for companies in these sectors to review the adequacy of work risks management so as to minimise the likelihood of any work accident. 

While the traditional sectors saw a decline in work fatalities, “other” sectors contributed to about 35% of total work fatalities in the first half of 2012, up from 19% in the same period in 2011. Many of these cases were slips, trips and falls from heights as well as workers struck by moving or falling objects.

In terms of major injuries, these sectors saw a 14% drop while minor injuries saw a marginal 2% increase. The logistics and transport, accommodation and food services as well as health sectors accounted for 13% of major injuries while sectors that were just covered under the WSH Act in Sept 2011 (such as Wholesale & Retail Trade, Professional Services, and Administrative & Support Service Activities) accounted for 31% of the major injuries.

This high proportion of major injuries in the “others” sectors highlights the need for companies to pay greater attention to WSH and ensure that their risk management is properly implemented and that their employees are adequately informed on the importance of WSH and trained on how to protect themselves.