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Oral Answer by Mr Teo Ser Luck, Minister of State for Manpower, to Parliamentary Question on Immediate Reporting by Doctors to the Ministry about Work Injuries

Workplace safety and health

Notice Paper No. 543 Of 2017 For The Sitting On 20 Feb 2017

Question No. 975 For Oral Answer

MP: Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang

To ask the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will consider requiring immediate reporting by doctors to the Ministry of work injuries that require 24 or more hours of hospitalisation or when three or more days of medical leave is required, considering that the current system relying on employers to report voluntarily may lead to the under-reporting of injuries.

Answer

  1. Under the Workplace Safety and Health Act and Work Injury Compensation Act, it is mandatory and not voluntary, for employers to report any work-related accident resulting in an employee’s death; or hospitalisation for at least 24 hours; or medical leave for more than three days.  
  2. It is an offence for employers not to notify MOM of the reportable accidents. MOM has taken enforcement actions against errant employers for persistent late reporting of minor injuries after repeated reminders, or delayed reporting of a serious work injury.  Since 2014, seven such employers were taken to task.
  3. Currently, injured employees, their dependents and representatives as well as doctors can submit an incident report directly to MOM online or in person if they are concerned that the employer may not report the accident.  However, I would like to emphasise again that the primary responsibility to report accidents should rightfully rest with the employer.