Vehicular incidents emerge as the leading cause of death
Workplace fatalities in Singapore rose in the first half of 2026, with vehicular incidents cited as the leading cause of death, according to a new report from the Ministry of Manpower.
MOM's Workplace Safety and Health Report January – June 2026 recorded 21 workplace fatalities in the first half of 2026, pushing the annualised fatal injury rate up to 1.1 per 100,000 workers.
The rise came even as the country's annualised major injury rate, excluding platform workers, fell to an all-time low of 14.6 per 100,000 workers, down from 15.8 in the first half of 2025.
Vehicular incidents were the leading cause of death, accounting for nine of the 21 fatalities recorded in the period.
"The all-time low in major injuries reflects the hard work of employers, workers and safety professionals," said Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash in a statement.
"The rise in fatal injuries, particularly from vehicular incidents, is a serious concern. Employers and workers must continue to stay vigilant and make workplace safety and health a priority every day."
The spike in fatalities prompted government intervention after seven workers lost their lives over four consecutive weeks in late May and June, triggering a two-week nationwide voluntary Safety Time-Out and enhanced enforcement penalties.
MOM said it is reviewing further measures to strengthen accountability, including tougher deterrence through enforcement and a review of the bizSAFE programme to better reflect companies' actual safety performance.
Platform workers at risk from vehicular incidents
Vehicular incidents are a particular concern for platform workers, a category that includes delivery riders and private-hire drivers.
In the first half of 2026, vehicular incidents accounted for 38 of the 44 fatal and major injuries involving platform workers.
Their annualised fatal and major injury rate, however, improved slightly from 95.9 per 100,000 workers in the first half of 2025 to 92.1 in the same period this year.
The Multi-Agency Workplace Safety and Health Taskforce has been expanded to include the Ministry of Home Affairs and Traffic Police to tackle vehicular and traffic risks.
A dedicated Platform Worker Safety Workgroup formed in March 2026 is also studying measures around safer driving behaviours, safety technology, and data collection, with findings expected by end of the year.
Construction sector sees improvement
Meanwhile, the construction sector saw improvement in workplace safety as its annualised fatal and major injury rate fell from 27.6 per 100,000 workers in the first half of 2025 to 24.1, the lowest since 2020.
MOM noted, however, that smaller-scale construction works such as additions, alterations, and renovations accounted for 70% of the sector's fatal and major injuries.
Overall, the Construction, Manufacturing, and the Transportation & Storage sectors emerged as the top contributors to fatal and major injuries in Singapore, according to the report.
The Manufacturing sector saw an annualised fatal and major injury rate of 28.4 per 100,000 workers, higher than the 27.8 recorded in the same period last year.
The Transportation & Storage sector, however, recorded a drop in its annualised fatal and major injury rate, with 19.8 per 100,000 workers, down from 21.6 in the same period in 2025.
Meanwhile, the report also flagged a rise in reported occupational disease cases, from 485 in the first half of 2025 to 620 in the same period this year.
MOM attributed the increase partly to expanded coverage under the Workplace Safety and Health Act from December 2025 and greater reporting awareness.
"The rise therefore reflects broader detection and stronger surveillance — not a deterioration in workplace health standards," it said.
