Workplace Fatal and Major Injury Rates for 2023 at Record Low, Matching Best in Class Standards

Singapore’s workplace fatal injury rate declined to 0.99 per 100,000 workers in 2023, from 1.3 in 2022. Excluding 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted work, this is the first time the workplace fatal injury rate has fallen below 1 per 100,000 workers, which is our Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) 2028 target. The workplace major injury rate also decreased to 16.1 per 100,000 workers in 2023, from 17.3 the previous year, and is the lowest recorded in the past decade. 

Key improvements in 2023 workplace fatal and major injury rates

2 Singapore’s 2023 WSH performance is a significant improvement from 2022, when a Heightened Safety Period was imposed. It reflects the collective efforts of businesses, industry associations, unions, workers and government agencies through the Multi-Agency Workplace Safety and Health Taskforce (MAST) to strengthen WSH ownership and culture. Only four OECD countries have achieved a workplace fatal injury rate of below 1 per 100,000 workers consistently – the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Sweden and Germany. 

3 Improvements in workplace fatal and major injury rates were also seen across high-risk sectors. Construction, Manufacturing, and Transportation & Storage remained the top three contributing sectors to fatal and major injuries, although there were improvements in the Construction and Transportation & Storage sectors. Incidents in Manufacturing rose due to more Machinery and Struck by Falling Objects incidents. MAST has introduced targeted measures to uplift standards in the Manufacturing sector, such as the Demerit Point System. Legal duties on manufacturers and suppliers of machineries will be expanded to cover more types of machinery, to ensure they are safe when used. This new requirement will be introduced later this year.

4 The goal now is to sustain our WSH achievements. All stakeholders – employers, industry associations, unions, workers as well as the Government – need to press on with our collective efforts to prevent workplace incidents, and ensure that Singapore remains a safe workplace for all. MAST will continue to pursue SAFE measures to drive home safety culture in every workplace and in every employer and worker.