Debated in Parliament on 5 May 2026.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Manpower pertaining to the Workplace Safety and Health Report 2025 (a) whether the Ministry has studied why construction, manufacturing, and transport and storage sectors continue to account for a disproportionate share of workplace deaths and serious injuries despite longstanding interventions; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider stronger deterrence measures, including higher penalties for repeat safety breaches.
In 2025, Singapore's overall workplace safety and health performance improved to record-low fatal and major injury rates of 0.96 and 15.7 per 100,000 workers respectively. Construction, manufacturing, and transport and storage contributed to more than half of workplace fatal and major injuries in 2025. This is not surprising, since these sectors involve work activities that are inherently of higher risks, such as working-at-height and operation of machinery and vehicles. Nevertheless, all three sectors have seen steady improvement over the years.
In addition to conducting regular inspections in these sectors, the Ministry of Manpower has introduced targeted measures to strengthen deterrence. For example, since 2024, the installation of video surveillance systems has been mandatory at construction sites with contract values of $5 million or more. In 2025, we also tightened the licensing conditions for approved scaffold contractors (ASCs). ASCs that accumulate five or more composition fines for contraventions related to scaffold work or working-at-height will have their license suspended for three months.
Harsher penalties are already imposed for repeated breaches. For a repeated conviction for causing death, the maximum fine is doubled to $400,000 for errant individuals, over and above any imprisonment and $1 million for corporate entities. In addition, companies in the construction and manufacturing sectors are issued demerit points for safety breaches. Accumulation of demerit points may lead to debarment from hiring migrant workers and disqualification from participating in tenders for public sector construction projects.
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