SINGAPORE - The manufacturing sector saw the highest number of workplace fatal and major injuries in the first half of 2023, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
Food manufacturing was the top contributing sub-sector for such injuries in this sector in the second half of 2022 and remains the second-highest contributing sub-sector in the first half of 2023, said the ministry in a Facebook post on Thursday.
In the first half of 2023, 88 out of a total of 325 fatal and major injuries across all industries in Singapore were from the manufacturing sector, according to the Workplace Safety and Health report released by MOM in September.
Of the 88 cases, 18 were from food manufacturing, which is the second-highest number for sub-sectors in manufacturing, after metalworking, which had 38.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, MOM said the top causes of workplace injuries in food manufacturing were machinery incidents, slips, trips and falls, and exposure to extreme temperatures. The ministry conducted more than 450 inspections in the sub-sector in the first half of 2023 and uncovered 1,045 incidents that flouted workplace safety and health regulations.
Penalties issued included one stop-work order, 21 composition fines amounting to $31,300, and 1,021 non-compliance notices.
“Basic safety measures such as guarded machine openings, safe routes for access and egress to work areas, and guard rails to prevent falls were not properly implemented,” said Mr Sebastian Tan, MOM’s director of occupational safety and health inspectorate. “The lack of such measures posed the risk of serious injuries to workers.”
In addition to the expansion of the workplace safety demerit point system to the manufacturing sector – which started in October – the ministry will step up its checks, he added.
With the expansion of the demerit point system, manufacturing companies that accumulate sufficient demerit points due to safety violations will now be temporarily banned from hiring foreign employees for up to two years.
Based on national workplace safety and health statistics for the period between January and June, there were 14 fatal workplace accidents and 311 major injuries sustained.
“The ministry will not hesitate to take action against errant companies and individuals who continue to flout safety regulations,” said MOM in the post.
Workers are encouraged to report unsafe practices to their supervisors or to the ministry, it added.
“By putting safety first, we can prevent workplace incidents and ensure everyone returns home safely.”
