Workplace safety receives a fillip

Workplace safety is moving centre stage in Singapore’s labour landscape because of recalcitrant problems in the field. The major injury rate per 100,000 workers rose to 19.2 for the period from September 2022 to March 2023, up from 16.8 for the January-to-August period in 2022. This increase occurred despite the heightened safety period that the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) had imposed from Sept 1, 2022, following a rise in workplace deaths between January and August that year, when 36 deaths were recorded – one fewer than the 37 for the whole of 2021. There were 46 deaths in 2022, and 11 have occurred so far this year.

The safety period, which was supposed to end on Feb 28 and has been extended to May 31, involves the MOM imposing severe penalties for serious workplace safety lapses, such as debarring companies from hiring new work pass holders. It is serving its purpose. The fatality rate per 100,000 workers fell from 1.5 for the period from January to August 2022, to 0.8 for the period from September 2022 until now. It is essential that the lapsing of the safety period does not lead to a relapse into the dismal fatality rates that had necessitated its introduction.