Workplace deaths reach record low, but firms must not let guard down

When it comes to workplace safety, Singapore has one of the best records in the world, and the numbers to back it up too. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced in its Workplace Safety and Health 2019 report that workplace fatalities here fell to a record low last year - there were 39 people who lost their lives on the job, which works out to a rate of 1.1 per 100,000 workers. This is down from 41 deaths and a rate of 1.2 in 2018.

To put things in perspective, it's the lowest rate of fatalities since 2004, when the ministry began to compile these statistics. It's also another big step towards Singapore's goal of becoming one of the countries with the safest and healthiest workplaces in the world by 2028.

That is the year when the Tripartite Strategies Committee wants to see the workplace fatal injury rate fall to below one per 100,000 workers. If all goes well, that target is very achievable, and there's every chance that Singapore could even reach it earlier. It's worth noting that, currently, only four other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries have managed the target of below one death per 100,000 workers. As of 2019, Singapore is ranked seventh on the list, behind Greece and Denmark.