21 workplace deaths in first half of 2026; four involved platform workers

SINGAPORE – More people died from injuries sustained at work in the first half of 2026, partly due to a rise in platform workers who lost their lives on the road.

Four platform workers were among 21 workplace deaths between January and June, compared with two among 18 fatalities in the same period in 2025.

Of the four deaths, three were delivery workers, while one was a ride-hailing worker.

Platform work is now the industry with the second-highest number of deaths, tied with construction and surpassing other traditional high-risk industries such as the manufacturing and marine sectors.

Meanwhile, the number of major injuries decreased in the first half of 2026. These are severe non-fatal injuries, such as amputations and paralysis.

There were 314 major injuries across all industries, down from 335 in the same period in 2025.

These statistics were released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Sept 8 in its mid-year Workplace Safety and Health Report.

Vehicular incidents claimed nine lives and were the leading cause of the 21 recorded fatalities. Other top causes included drowning or suffocation, which caused five deaths, including those of three crew members in a supply boat collision with a landing craft off Pasir Panjang Terminal in June.

The transportation and storage industry had the highest number of deaths, with five fatalities.

Singapore’s workplace fatality rate in the first half of 2026 rose to 1.1 deaths per 100,000 workers, up from 0.97 in the same period in 2025. The Republic’s target is to keep the rate below one death per 100,000 workers by 2028.

Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash called the rise in fatal injuries, particularly from vehicular incidents, “a serious concern” and said the authorities are taking action to address it.

With the support of the Multi-Agency Workplace Safety and Health Taskforce (MAST) – formed in 2022 to improve workplace safety and health in higher-risk sectors – MOM stepped up workplace safety measures in June, after seven workers lost their lives in four weeks.

The measures included enhanced penalties and a two-week safety timeout, which helped prevent more fatalities, MOM said.

The ministry is reviewing further measures, including tougher deterrence through enforcement and a review of the bizSAFE programme to better reflect how companies fare in workplace safety and health.

Higher risks of platform work

Platform operators are required to report work-related injuries involving their workers since Jan 1, 2025, after a new law provided these workers with workplace safety and health-related protection.

Platform work carries significantly higher risks than other sectors. The annualised death and injury rate is 92.1 per 100,000 workers, compared with 24.1 in the construction industry and 28.4 in the manufacturing sector.

Most platform workers have to contend with worsening road conditions. The number of road traffic accidents and casualties has risen over the past three years, according to mid-year Traffic Police (TP) statistics released in August.

About 86 per cent of platform workers with fatal or major injuries in the first half of 2026 had been involved in a vehicular incident.

More injuries were reported among workers who provided delivery services than those in ride-hailing work.

In July, MAST was expanded to include the Ministry of Home Affairs and TP to strengthen efforts to tackle vehicular and traffic risks at workplaces.

A platform worker safety workgroup, formed in March, is also studying measures, including training, support for safer driving and riding behaviours, safety technology, and data collection and analysis. It will conclude its work by the end of 2026.

Two platform operators in Singapore, Grab and foodpanda, said they use technology to identify potentially risky riding behaviours and give feedback to their partners.

A Grab spokesperson said its driver app recommends breaks, encouraging drivers to be alert and well rested while on the road.

Its platform also does not penalise workers for longer delivery times; rather, it informs customers of longer wait times during challenging conditions such as heavy rain.

GrabAcademy – Grab’s learning and development arm – and the Riding Safety Association of Singapore jointly developed a new safety programme launched in August.

It is open to riders from all platforms and designed specifically for their work demands, such as riding with loaded delivery bags.

Ervin Lim, director of logistics at foodpanda Singapore, said 500 delivery partners have attended its in-person safety training courses, tailored for each vehicle type.

It launched a video series in September, providing practical guidance on road and weather safety, food handling and other topics. About 3,500 delivery partners completed the accompanying safety quiz in the first week of its launch.

NTUC assistant secretaries-general Melvin Yong and Yeo Wan Ling expressed concern about the figures involving platform workers.

Yeo, who is also adviser to the National Delivery Champions Association, said in a Facebook post that when fares are low, workers may need to complete more trips or spend longer hours on the road to make the same income.

“Incentive structures can also influence how intensively they work. Add the heat, haze, heavy delivery loads and busy roads, and these risks can compound,” she said, adding that safety has to be built into the platform work ecosystem.

Drop in major injuries

But the general picture of Singapore’s workplace safety and health has “broadly remained stable”, said MOM, pointing to fewer major injuries.

The construction and manufacturing sectors recorded the highest number of major injuries, at 65 and 61 incidents, respectively. Platform work came in third with 40 major injuries.

The most common cause of major injuries is slips, trips and falls, followed by vehicular incidents, machinery incidents and falls from height.

The construction sector saw improvements as its fatal and major injury rate fell to its lowest since 2020.

Smaller-scale construction works accounted for 70 per cent of the sector’s injuries and fatalities. MOM said it is reviewing measures to strengthen deterrence and accountability among such contractors.

In the manufacturing sector, injuries and deaths in metalworking rose by 56 per cent, while such incidents in food and beverage manufacturing fell by 32 per cent.

MOM said it will maintain a higher inspection frequency in the metalworking industry, focusing on addressing machinery safety and mitigating slip, trip and fall risks.

Minor injuries and occupational diseases

Minor injuries, which refer to non-severe injuries for which the worker takes medical leave or is placed on light duties, rose from 10,826 in the first half of 2025 to 11,782 in the same period in 2026.

Slips, trips and falls, overexertion or strenuous movements, and machinery incidents were the three leading causes of minor injuries in the first half of 2026.

The number of dangerous occurrences reported to MOM fell to its lowest level since 2010, with three in the first half of 2026, compared with 14 in the same period in 2025. Such occurrences refer to incidents with potentially serious consequences, such as a crane collapse or explosion.

Occupational diseases rose to 620 cases between January and June, compared with 485 in the same period in 2025.

Fifty-seven per cent of the 2026 cases were of noise-induced hearing loss, followed by work-related musculoskeletal disorders at 23 per cent and occupational skin diseases at 11 per cent.

MOM attributed the increase to an expansion of the types of occupational diseases covered under revised manpower laws and an enhanced workplace health surveillance programme, which raised awareness among doctors and employers about reporting such diseases.