SINGAPORE - Fewer workers were injured in 2015, but more died while on duty.
In 2015, 66 workers were killed at their workplaces, up from 60 in 2014, according to an annual report released by the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Institute on Thursday (March 10).
But overall, fewer workers were hurt at work. In 2015, 12,285 workers suffered major or minor injuries at work, down from 13,535 in 2014.
Construction accounted for the most fatalities in 2015, with 27 deaths. Transportation had 15 deaths, while manufacturing had six.
A total of 23 workers fell to their deaths. Traffic accidents took 10 lives, while 10 workers were killed by moving or falling objects.
"These fatalities could have been easily prevented if we just spend a little bit more attention to workplace safety and health," said Minister of State for Manpower Sam Tan at a workplace safety conference on Thursday (March 10).
To cut the number of deaths and injuries at worksites, the WSH Council has printed and distributed a pocket-size checklist for worksite supervisors to remind them of safety tips.
Also in the pipeline are safety clinics to be held at the worksites and a new programme to help companies implement traffic safety.
These new measures will be rolled out in the second half of 2016, said Mr Tan.
Correction note: An earlier version of this story stated the WSH Institute printed and distributed pocket-sized safety checklists for worksite supervisors. This was actually done by the WSH Council.
