The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) reported on 30 September that 17 people died from workplace injuries in the first half of 2025.
This marked a small decline compared with 19 fatalities in the same period in 2024.
Vehicular incidents were once again the leading cause of workplace deaths. Nine workers lost their lives in such incidents in the first half of 2025, compared with 11 in the whole of 2024.
Other significant causes included falls from height and being struck by moving objects, MOM said.
Construction and transport industries remain most affected
The construction and transportation and storage sectors were responsible for 65 per cent of workplace fatalities between January and June 2025.
Construction alone accounted for seven deaths, up from five in the first half of 2024, though still lower than the 15 recorded in the second half of that year.
The transportation and storage sector reported four deaths in the first half of 2025, compared with one during the same period in 2024 and eight in the second half of that year.
Other industries also recorded fatalities. The wholesale and retail trade sector reported two workplace deaths in the first half of 2025, up from one in the whole of 2024.
The administrative and support services sector registered two deaths, having reported none in 2024.
Fatality rate and long-term targets
MOM said Singapore’s workplace fatality rate in the first six months of 2025 was 0.92 deaths per 100,000 workers.
This is a slight improvement from one per 100,000 in the same period of 2024, and down from 1.2 deaths per 100,000 in the second half of that year.
Singapore has set a national target of keeping the fatality rate below one death per 100,000 workers by 2028.
According to MOM figures released in March, total workplace deaths rose to 43 in 2024, up from 36 in 2023.
Minister stresses need for safety culture
Speaking to reporters during a visit to Sapphire Windows in Loyang on 30 September, Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash said that while any workplace death is a tragedy, the latest figures suggest the country is “trending in the right direction.”
“The best target is really zero, and we try to aim for that as much as we can,” he said. He called on companies to build a safety culture in which employers and workers look out for one another and report hazards.
“This will be a game changer to reduce injuries and fatalities at worksites,” he added. Dinesh also noted that more must be done to reduce vehicular incidents, calling this an area of continuing concern.
Major injuries at all-time low
MOM data showed improvements in non-fatal but serious workplace injuries.
A total of 286 major injuries were recorded in the first half of 2025, down from 304 in the same period in 2024.
The major injury rate fell to 15.5 per 100,000 workers – the lowest ever recorded. Major injuries include amputations, blindness, and paralysis.
Slips, trips and falls accounted for 39 per cent of such injuries, followed by falls from height at 12 per cent, and machinery-related incidents at 10 per cent. These three causes made up 61 per cent of all major injuries.
Sector-specific improvements
Construction and manufacturing continued to be significant contributors, accounting for 43 per cent of major injuries.
However, both industries showed progress compared with the same period in 2024.
Manufacturing reported 55 major injuries and no fatalities in the first half of 2025, compared with 63 major injuries and two deaths in the first half of 2024.
Within the sector, metalworking-related incidents fell from 24 to 17 over the same periods.
MOM attributed the decline partly to the demerit point system introduced in 2023 and new safety requirements for high-risk machinery and combustible dust introduced in January 2025.
In construction, fatal and major injuries dropped from 81 in the first half of 2024 to 76 in the first half of 2025.
MOM credited this in part to a voluntary “safety timeout” it called in November 2024 after a spate of deaths.
Melvin Yong, assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress and Radin Mas MP, highlighted continuing risks in the transport sector and among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in construction.
He urged improvements in fatigue management, vehicle maintenance and safe driving practices to reduce transport-related incidents.
For construction SMEs, he called for clearer supervision, better safety training and practical tools to embed safety practices.
Minor injuries and dangerous occurrences
The first half of 2025 saw 10,112 minor injuries, 3 per cent fewer than the 10,446 cases recorded in the same period in 2024.
Slips, trips and falls, machinery incidents and being struck by moving objects accounted for about half of these cases.
MOM also reported 14 dangerous occurrences, slightly higher than the 13 in the first half of 2024.
Nine involved fires and explosions, mainly in construction and manufacturing. There were five cases of structural or equipment collapses.
Occupational diseases and updated regulations
Between January and June 2025, there were 465 occupational disease cases, down slightly from 468 in the same period of 2024 but up from 431 in the second half of that year.
Noise-induced deafness accounted for 60 per cent of cases, with musculoskeletal disorders at 26 per cent and occupational skin diseases at 10 per cent.
MOM noted that stronger reporting requirements have raised awareness and contributed to high reporting numbers.
The ministry announced it will update the list of occupational diseases under the Workplace Safety and Health Act and the Work Injury Compensation Act from 1 December 2025.
The new list will align the two Acts and expand coverage to 38 diseases, including broader recognition of musculoskeletal and infectious diseases in high-risk work settings.
Enforcement actions and inspections
MOM conducted more than 3,000 inspections in the first half of 2025, targeting vehicular safety, working at height, machinery safety and prevention of slips, trips and falls.
Nearly 7,000 breaches were detected, with errant companies fined more than S$1.5 million in composition penalties.
Twenty-eight stop-work orders were issued during the same period.
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