The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced in a news statement on Tuesday (Nov 29) that the two incidents occurred on Friday and Saturday last week, bringing the overall number of workplace deaths in 2022 to 42.
Two more fatal workplace accidents occurred last week, including one incident involving a 69-year-old worker who fell while cleaning windows.
In comparison, there were 37 workplace fatalities in 2021.
The 69-year-old was involved in an accident on November 26 about 6 p.m.
The employee, a Singaporean employed by Home Cleanz Cleaning and Laundry Services, was cleaning a vacated unit at 99 Cairnhill Circle, Hilltops Condominium.
"He was cleaning the outdoor window panes when he fell from roughly 9m and landed on the ground below," MOM stated, adding that the worker was not wearing personal fall protection equipment.
A paramedic pronounced the guy dead at the site, according to MOM.
Since then, the ministry has directed the employer to halt all work-at-height operations and is investigating the accident.
The other tragedy occurred on November 25 at around 11 a.m. and was a 41-year-old Indian national employed for Plant General Services.
The 41-year-old fell into the sea while working on scaffolding at Singapore Refining Company on Jurong Island.
MOM stated that the man's body was discovered the same day.
The government issued the employer a stop work order to halt scaffolding operations at the piers and is investigating the accident.
MOM announced a heightened safety period from September 1 to February 28 next year in response to a recent series of workplace deaths.
Companies may be restricted from employing new foreign employees for up to three months during this period if they are determined to have committed major workplace safety and health violations following a serious or deadly workplace accident.
A safe and healthy workplace not only protects employees from injury and illness, but it can also reduce injury and illness costs, absenteeism and turnover, increase productivity and quality, and boost employee morale. In other words, safety is beneficial to business.
The primary purpose of workplace safety and health programs is to avoid workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths, as well as the pain and financial burden that these occurrences can create for workers, their families, and employers.
The proposed methods take a proactive approach to workplace safety and health management. Traditional systems are frequently reactive, in the sense that problems are handled only after a worker is hurt or becomes ill, a new standard or rule is issued, or an outside inspection discovers a fault that must be corrected.
These recommended procedures acknowledge that identifying and correcting dangers before they cause harm or sickness is a significantly more effective strategy.
Safety and health programs help businesses:
Prevent workplace injuries and illnesses
Improve compliance with laws and regulations
Reduce costs, including significant reductions in workers' compensation premiums
Engage workers
Enhance their social responsibility goals
Increase productivity and enhance overall business operation
Employee first aid training is one of the finest ways for businesses to meet their legal and moral commitments to their employees.
Employee training delivers advantages that are not always visible.
There are a number of great occupational first aid and CPR training resources you can find online however learning from an accredited school will make the journey better. The Occupational First Aid Course we provide for new first aid providers is designed to increase awareness of possible accidents, identify accidents with casualties and optimise health and performance at the workplace.
This course fulfils the first aid certification requirement under the Workplace Safety Health Act and is recognised by the Ministry of Manpower and Singapore Civil Defence Force. The course also Includes CPR + AED Training and Certification.
To make the first step towards becoming first aid trained check our course here to find out more.