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Fewer workplace deaths, but construction sector saw more fatalities, major injuries

SINGAPORE – Although the overall number of workplace fatalities was lower in the first half of this year compared to the previous six months, the construction sector saw a spike in deaths and major injuries.

A Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) site inspection by The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Minister of State for Manpower Sam Tan, at one of the worksite at Geylang. TODAY file photo

A Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) site inspection by The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Minister of State for Manpower Sam Tan, at one of the worksite at Geylang. TODAY file photo

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SINGAPORE – Although the overall number of workplace fatalities was lower in the first half of this year compared to the previous six months, the construction sector saw a spike in deaths and major injuries.

From January to June, there were 20 cases of fatalities compared to 23 cases in the second half of 2017, according to the latest half-year statistics from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council released on Monday (Aug 20).

Despite the slight dip, the number of fatalities is still slightly higher than the 19 cases in the same period last year.

The construction sector was however, flagged for a spike in the number of fatal and major injuries, from 53 and 69 cases in the first and second halves of last year respectively, to the 72 cases in the first half of the year.

The sector was also the top contributor of workplace deaths with eight – or 40 per cent – reported cases.

There were four incidents of vehicular-related fatalities – a top cause of fatalities annually since 2013 – down from seven in both halves of 2017, which the MOM and WSH Council said was an “encouraging sign”.

On the whole, there were fewer workplace injuries at 6,032 cases, compared to the preceeding half year (6,287 cases) as well as the same period last year (6,211 cases).

Falls, in particular, was an area of concern. Half of major injuries reported were caused by falls and also resulted in seven deaths – accounting for 35 per cent of the workplace deaths in the January to June period this year.

Overall, there were 142 fall-related injuries in the first half of the year, more than 112 cases in the same period last year and the 128 in the second half of 2017.

In the joint press release, the WSH Council and MOM said they have stepped up enforcement and engagement efforts in the first half of the year, targeting vehicular safety, machinery safety and falls prevention issues, as well as sectors such as construction.

More than 2,600 inspections were conducted in the first half of the year – close to 1,500 of which were in construction – to send a strong deterrent signal and educate companies on workplace hazards.

Commenting on the WSH performance for the first half of the year, MOM Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad said while the number of fatalities was a slight improvement, “more should have been prevented”.

He noted that one idea being discussed by the WSH2028 Tripartite Strategy Committee has been to differentiate their enforcement approach. This means supporting self-regulation among companies with good WSH records and strong management systems, and less frequent inspections for them.

“This then allows us to re-channel enforcement resources to companies with poorer WSH records, to inspect them more frequently and to initiate deeper discussions with their senior management to address the root causes of their non-compliance,” he said.

“While enforcement is needed to send a deterrent message, it is not the complete answer to safer workplaces. There’s good evidence that companies with better WSH records demonstrate a strong sense of ownership at all levels. Employers and workers take active steps to prevent incidents at the workplace,” he added.

 

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