Singapore

Organization responsible for the statistics

Collection: Department of Industrial Safety and Workers' Compensation Department of the Ministry of Labour.

Compilation: Department of Industrial Safety of the Ministry of Labour.

Publication: Research and Statistics Department of the Ministry of Labour.

Periodicity

Compilation: the statistics on occupational injuries are captured on computer and can be compiled whenever required.

Publication: annual.

Source

Reports of accidents and injuries sustained by their employees made by employers to the Department of Industrial Safety under the terms of the Factories Act.
Reports of accidents involving workmen made by employers to the Workmen's Compensation Department under the terms of the Workmen's Compensation Act.

Objectives and users

To identify the trend of accidents and compare the safety situation in each year so as to develop programmes to tackle problem areas, and to make statistics available to the public.

Major users:

Government institutions, institutions of higher learning, trade associations and unions.

Coverage

Persons:

(1) Factories Act: persons employed in factories and other specific workplaces (see below).

About 630,000 workers are covered by the Factories Act.

(2) Workmen's Compensation Act: all workmen, defined as any person who has a contract of service or apprenticeship with an employer and who is engaged in manual labour or non-manual labour and whose total monthly earnings do not exceed 1,600 dollars.

The following are excluded: non-manual workers with total monthly earnings above 1,600 dollars; workers whose work is of a casual nature and whose work is not connected with the employer's trade or business; domestic servants; police officers and any other persons engaged to perform police duties; outworkers, i.e. any person who does work on materials or articles given out by another person and who does such work in his own home or in some other premises which are not under the control or management of that other person who gives out the materials or articles; any member of the family of the employer who dwells with him in his house; and any class of person declared by the Minister not to be a workman under the Workmen's Compensation Act.

Economic activities:

(1) Factories Act: only economic activities carried out in premises that are deemed to be factories or other specific workplaces under the terms of the Factories Act. Factories are any premises in which persons are employed in manual labour in any process for or linked to the following: the making of any article or of part of any article; the altering, repairing, ornamenting, finishing, cleaning, or washing, or the breaking up or demolition of any article; or the adapting for sale of any article. Other specific workplaces include docks, premises in airports used for repairing, loading and unloading aircraft, and ships undergoing repair, refitting, cleaning, etc. in harbour.

(2) Workmen's Compensation Act: all economic activities.

Geographic areas:

All areas.

(1) Factories Act: the statistics cover only accidents involving employees in Singapore.

(2) Workmen's Compensation Act: in addition to accidents occurring in Singapore, the statistics cover workmen residing in Singapore and employed by a local employer who meets with an accident in a place outside Singapore where he is required to work.

Establishments:

(1) Factories Act: all types and sizes of establishments deemed to be factories (see above).

(2) Workmen's Compensation Act: all types and sizes of establishments.

Types of occupational accidents covered

(1) Factories Act: the information covers reported injuries due to all types of occupational accidents occurring in factories; accidents occurring outside factory premises, such as traffic accidents and commuting accidents, are not included.

Data on occupational diseases covered by the Factories Act are compiled separately, but presented in the same publication.

(2) Workmen's Compensation Act: the information covers reported occupational injuries and diseases due to all types of occupational accidents, including accidents while travelling to and from the place of work in a vehicle operated by or on behalf of the employer, where the vehicle is not a means of public transport; injuries incurred while working on the employer's premises and trying to save life or prevent damage or loss to property during a supposed or actual emergency; and injuries incurred while disregarding statutory regulations or acting without the employer's instructions but for the purposes of and in connection with the employer's trade or business.

Concepts and definitions

Occupational accident:

an incident in a factory which causes the death of a person employed in the factory;
an incident in a factory which disables any person for more than three days from earning full wages at the work at which he was employed; or
an incident which causes any injury to any such person which requires him to be detained in a hospital for at least 24 hours for observation or treatment.

(Source: Factories Act).

Occupational injury:

no official definition.

Mandays lost:

days of medical leave granted to an injured person for temporary disablement accidents.

Temporary incapacity to work:

an injury which disables any person for more than three days from earning full wages at the work at which he was employed or which requires him to be detained in hospital for at least 24 hours for observation or treatment, excluding the loss of limbs, eyes and parts of the body (Source: Factories Act);
an injury which incapacitates a workman from performing his normal duties for some time (Source: Workmen's Compensation Act).

Permanent incapacity to work:

an injury involving the loss of parts of the body or of members such as limbs or eyes. (Source: Factories Act);
an injury that incapacitates totally or partially the workman from doing all work which he was capable of doing at the time of the accident and thereby reduces permanently the earning capacity in every employment (Source: Workmen's Compensation Act).

Minimum period of absence from work:

an injury is included in the statistics if the employee is unable to earn full wages at the work at which he was employed for more than three days or which is detained in hospital for at least 24 hours for observation or treatment (Source: Factories Act);
none, as long as the person sustains an injury or disease which renders him unfit for work (Source: Workmen's Compensation Act).

Maximum period for death to be considered a fatal occupational injury: none.

Types of information compiled

(a) personal characteristics of persons injured:

(b) amount of worktime lost:

(d) characteristics of injuries: part of body injured, type of injury, type of illness, extent of disability;

(e) characteristics of employers or workplaces;

(f) other.

Measurement of worktime lost

Worktime lost is measured in workdays. It is compiled for all types of injury as follows:

temporary incapacity to work: on the basis of the number of days of medical leave for the person injured;
permanent incapacity to work: on the basis of a standard schedule;
fatal injuries: each fatality is considered as 6,000 workdays lost.

Absences for medical treatment of less than 24 hours are not included.

Classifications

(a) fatal or non-fatal accidents;

(b) extent of disability:

temporary or permanent disablement;

(c) economic activity:

manufacturing, of which shipbuilding and repairing; construction; commerce; transport, storage and communication; community, social and personal services;

(d) occupation:

according to the Singapore Standard Occupational Classification (SSOC);

(e) type of injury:

nature of injury:ehp3: contusions, scratches; amputation; asphyxia, drowning; burns (heat); burns (chemical); bruises, crushing and contusions; concussions and other internal injuries; lacerations, cuts; dislocations; effects of electricity; effects of radiations; fractures; freezing; multiple injuries; poisonings; puncture wounds; sprains and strains; others;

part of body: hand or fingers; leg or ankle; foot or toes; arm or shoulder; head or neck (excluding eyes); trunk; eyes; others; multiple injuries;

(f) cause of accident:

stepping on/striking against objects; machinery (mechanical power); persons falling; stuck by falling objects; use of hand tools; molten metal, hot or corrosive substances; lifting machinery (power or non-power); electricity, explosions, fire or gassing; transport or vehicles; machinery (non-mechanical power); handling goods or article in manufacturing or carrying process; others;

(g) duration of absence from work:

none;

(h) characteristics of workers:

none;

(i) characteristics of accidents:

place of accident or dangerous occurrence: shipbuilding and repairing: dry/floating dock or on board vessel, workshop of the yard, other part of the yard; manufacturing or other industry: production area, maintenance workshop, loading or unloading bays for vehicles, store or warehouse, other part of the factory; building and construction: worksite;

(j) characteristics of employers or workplaces:

none.

Crossclassifications:

type of injury and economic activity.

Reference period

One year.

An injury is included in the statistics for the period (year) in which the accident occurred.

Worktime lost included in the period (year) in which worktime was lost.

Estimates

On the basis of the actual number of cases reported:

total number of injuries
total amount of worktime lost
frequency rates for all injuries: number of injuries per million hours worked.
severity rates: number of workdays lost per million hours worked.

Historical background of the series

The statistics were first compiled over 20 years ago.

Minor changes have been introduced over the years, such as in the types of workplace covered and the definition of an accident.

Documentation

Series available:

The following tables are published:

Number of injuries by:

economic activity;
degree of incapacity and economic activity;
main cause of accident;
part of body injured;
main cause of accident and part of body injured.

Frequency rates of occupational injuries by economic activity.

Severity rates of occupational injuries by economic activity.

Bibliographic references:

The data are published in:

Research and Statistics Department, Ministry of Labour: Singapore Labour Year Book of Statistics (annual).

Brief methodological notes appear in this publication along with the data.

Not all the data are published, but they can be made available on request, as extracts from the computer database.

Data published by ILO:

The following data are furnished regularly to the ILO for publication in the Yearbook of Labour Statistics, relating to reported injuries according to major division of economic activity: number of persons fatally injured, number of persons injured with lost workdays, total of these two groups; number of workdays lost by persons injured with lost workdays; rates of fatal injuries. Occupational diseases and commuting accidents are not covered in the statistics. The number of persons at risk (total number of persons employed who are covered by the Factories Act) is also supplied and stored in the LABORSTA database.

Confidentiality:

There are no restrictions on the publication of the data on occupational injuries.

International standards

The international statistical standards and guidelines were taken into consideration when the statistical system was designed.

Method of data collection

Legislation:

(1) Factories Act. All injuries caused by accidents in factories should be reported immediately to the Ministry of Labour.

(2) Workmen's Compensation Act. All injuries caused by accidents to workmen should be reported to the Workmen's Compensation Department as soon as possible, but at least within 10 days of an accident resulting in death, within 18 days of an accident rendering a workman unfit for work for more than 14 days and not later than the 15th day of the month following an accident rendering a workman unfit for work for 14 days or less.

Reporting:

(1) Factories Act: The employer is required to notify the Chief Inspector of Factories, Ministry of Labour, of any industrial accident, using a standard form (Ninth Schedule). Instructions for notification are provided. In addition, the occupier of a factory is required to notify the Chief Inspector of Factories of any dangerous occurrence taking place in the factory.

(2) Workmen's Compensation Act: The employer is required to notify the Commissioner of Labour, Ministry of Labour of any accident involving his workmen.

The procedures for workmen's compensation claims are as follows:

the employer submits the accident report;
the report is screened by the Workers' Compensation Department and classified by type of injury;
for cases causing 14 days or less of medical leave and where there has been no permanent incapacity, no medical report is required and the employer has to pay full wages;
for other cases, i.e. temporary incapacity, permanent incapacity and fatal injuries, the Department sends an Application Form to the injured worker or his dependents to claim for compensation, and, for cases of temporary or permanent incapacity, a Medical Report form is sent to the employer for the doctor to complete and return;
on receipt of the two forms, compensation is assessed and notified to the insurance company, the employer and the injured worker, and compensation is paid to the injured worker either directly by the insurance company or through the office of the Commissioner for Labour.

Data reported:

(1) Factories Act: The form for notification of occupational injuries (Ninth Schedule) consists of the following:

particulars of the occupier of the factory: name, postal address, location of factory or worksite, type of industry or trade;
particulars of the employer (if different from the occupier of the factory);
particulars of the victim: name; address; insurance number (for Singaporeans only); foreign identification number; work permit number; passport or travel document number; citizenship (Singapore; Malaysia; Indonesia; Thailand; Philippines; India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh; China, Taiwan or other; stateless); age; sex; marital status (married, single, other); race (Chinese; Malay; Indonesian; Thai; Filipino; Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan or Bangladeshi; Eurasian; Caucasian; other); occupation; period employed by present employer prior to accident; period employed in present type of occupation prior to accident; time the victim started work on the day of the accident; expected number of days of medical leave; whether the victim was detained in a hospital for at least twenty-four hours for observation or treatment;
particulars of the accident or dangerous occurrence:
- date and time;
- place of accident or dangerous occurrence: shipbuilding and repairing: dry or floating dock or on board vessel, workshop of the yard, other part of the yard; manufacturing or other industry: production area, maintenance workshop, loading or unloading bays for vehicles, store or warehouse, other part of the factory; building and construction: worksite;
- nature of injury: abrasions, scratches; amputation; asphyxia, drowning; burns (heat); burns (chemical); bruises, crushing and contusions; concussions and other internal injuries; lacerations, cuts; dislocations; effects of electricity; effects of radiations; fractures; freezing; multiple injuries; poisonings; puncture wounds; sprains and strains; others;
- part of body injured: head: scalp, skull; eyes; ears; mouth, teeth; nose; face (other locations); multiple locations; unspecified location; neck and torso: neck; back; chest, abdomen, pelvis, groin, trunk, multiple locations, trunk, unspecified locations; upper limbs: fingers, hand, palm, wrist, forearm, elbow, upper arms, shoulder, multiple locations, unspecified location; lower limbs: hips, thighs, knee, legs, ankle, feet (except toes alone), toes, multiple locations, unspecified locations; multiple locations of body;
description of accident or dangerous occurrence (how it took place); description of machine involved.

(2) Workmen's Compensation Act: The form for notification of occupational injuries (Form A) consists of the following:

particulars of the employer: name, address, total number of employees, nature of business;
particulars of the injured workman: name; address; foreign address if non-resident; nationality (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, China, Myanmar, Pakistan, other); date of birth; sex; race (Chinese, Malay, Indian, other); marital status (single, married, divorced, widowed); educational level (no formal education, primary, secondary, post secondary, tertiary, not stated); occupation; detailed description of duties; date of commencement of employment; basic earnings; number of working days per week (5, 5 1/2 , 6, other); average monthly earnings during the 12 months preceding the accident;
particulars of the accident: date and time; place of accident; whether the accident occurred during the workman's working hours; whether he was on official duty; if the accident occurred on board a vessel, whether it was a Singapore registered vessel; detailed description of the accident; part of body injured (generally the same groups as in the Ninth Schedule above, except that this mentions locations which Form A does not);
other information: name of hospital or clinic where the injured workman received treatment; whether the injured workman was still in hospital; number of days of medical leave; name of insurance company and policy number.

Changes planned:

None.