Construction sector top contributor to major workplace injuries
The construction sector made up about one-third of the total number of major injuries. TODAY FILE PHOTO
SINGAPORE — Major workplace injuries in the construction industry rose last year to 202 cases, from 176 in 2013, making it the top contributor by sector.
The number of major and minor injuries in all sectors jumped 9.3 per cent from 2013 to reach a total of 13,535 reported cases last year, said the 2014 Workplace Safety and Health Statistics Report released yesterday.
However, workplace fatality was at its lowest rate last year — at 1.8 per 100,000 employed people, said the report issued by the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Institute.
Taken together, the three traditionally higher-risk sectors — construction, manufacturing and marine — accounted for 55 per cent of all major injuries and 48 per cent of minor injuries.
The construction sector made up about one-third of the total number of major injuries, but came in second for minor injuries with 2,686 cases.
Under immense pressure to work within tight timeframes and deliver projects on time despite facing a manpower crunch, the construction sector has been in the spotlight following a string of accidents arising from lapses in WSH procedures.
In the first six months of last year, there were 17 fatalities in construction accidents, up from 11 in the same period in 2013. It remained the top contributor to overall workplace fatalities, with 27 cases out of 60 reported cases last year.
Meanwhile, major workplace injuries rose to 672 cases last year, from 640 in 2013. Manufacturing reported the second-highest number of major workplace injuries with 140 cases, while marine had 29 cases.
Minor workplace injuries also increased to 12,863 last year, from 11,740 cases in 2013. Manufacturing was the top contributor with 2,992 cases, while the marine sector had 469 cases.
In terms of occupational diseases, the number of cases last year jumped by 12 per cent, to 992 cases from 887 in 2013, the report noted.
The increase was largely due to the inclusion of back injuries due to ergonomic risk as a work-related musculoskeletal disorder.
Noise-induced deafness (NID) was the leading occupational disease, with 594 cases last year — more than half of the 992 cases of occupational diseases reported.
The manufacturing sector continued to have the highest number of NID cases (288 cases), followed by the marine sector (139 cases).
Last year marked the second time that work-related traffic injuries were included in the WSH Institute report. While the number of such injuries resulting in death fell last year compared with 2013, work-related traffic injuries contributing to both major and minor injuries rose last year.
Observing the recent spate of work-related traffic accidents, the Ministry of Manpower’s (MOM) Commissioner for WSH, Mr Ho Siong Hin, said: “We urge the industry to adopt preventive measures in protecting workers who are required to ride or drive as part of their job scope.
“The MOM will act against companies and individuals who refuse to take these measures and uphold their legal responsibilities.”
