SINGAPORE, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Singapore recorded 43 workplace fatalities in 2024, an increase from 36 in 2023, underscoring the need for all stakeholders to remain vigilant and prioritize workplace safety and health, the Ministry of Manpower said in a release on Wednesday.
A total of 587 major workplace injuries were recorded in 2024.
Although the construction and manufacturing sectors showed improvements in their injury rates, they remained the top contributors to workplace fatal and major injuries in 2024, with 166 and 125 injuries, respectively.
The marine industry, despite having a smaller workforce, experienced its highest workplace fatal and major injury rate since 2018, reaching 35.8 per 100,000 workers in 2024. Four of the five fatalities in the sector involved work on vessels at anchorage, while two were related to diving operations where systemic safety lapses were observed.
Despite the increase in workplace fatalities, Singapore maintains a five-year average workplace fatality rate of 1.1 per 100,000 workers, ranking "among the top performing countries globally," the ministry said.
In 2024, the ministry conducted more than 17,000 inspections, focusing on high-risk industries such as construction, manufacturing, and marine. In addition to general workplace safety checks, targeted inspections were carried out in priority areas. ■
