MOM WSH National Statistics 2025: Singapore Hits Record-Low Fatality Rate — But the Real Story Is Deeper

On 25 March 2026, MOM released the Workplace Safety and Health Report 2025 — National Statistics. The headline is worth celebrating: Singapore's workplace fatality rate fell to 0.96 per 100,000 workers, the lowest ever recorded. That places Singapore alongside the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, and Sweden as one of the safest places to work globally.

But if you stop at the headline, you miss what actually matters for your site, your workers, and your compliance programme.

Here is what the data really says — and what employers in Singapore should do about it.

The Headline Numbers

Singapore recorded 36 workplace fatalities in 2025, including 6 work-related traffic fatalities. Two of those involved platform workers — the first time platform worker data has appeared in national WSH statistics following the start of statutory reporting obligations under the Platform Workers Act on 1 January 2025.

The major injury rate also hit a record low of 15.7 per 100,000 workers (excluding platform workers), down from 15.9 in 2024. In absolute terms, 586 major injuries were recorded — essentially flat compared to 587 the year before.

So far, so good. But the picture shifts when you look at the full injury burden.

Total Injuries Actually Went Up

Here is the nuance that matters: total workplace injuries rose to 22,710 (excluding platform workers), up from 22,157 in 2024. The injury rate climbed from 601 to 608 per 100,000 workers.

What this tells us is that Singapore is getting better at preventing the most severe outcomes — fatalities and major injuries — but the underlying volume of workplace incidents is not falling. Workers are still getting hurt. The incidents are just less likely to be catastrophic.

That is progress, but it is not a victory. It points to a continuing need for stronger frontline controls, better supervision, improved housekeeping, traffic segregation, ergonomic interventions, and early reporting before minor events escalate.

Construction: Better, But Small Works Remain a Problem

Construction remained the largest contributor to fatal and major injuries, accounting for 148 cases — 24% of the national total. The sector's fatal and major injury rate fell from 31.0 in 2024 to 26.3 in 2025. Thirteen workers died on construction sites, seven fewer than the year before.

The encouraging part: regular construction improved from 60 fatal and major injuries to 45. That is a meaningful drop.

The worrying part: small-scale works — additions and alterations, renovations, fit-outs — accounted for 95 injuries, roughly 64% of the sector's fatal and major injuries. Smaller, shorter-duration, fragmented projects continue to underperform on planning, supervision, temporary works, work-at-height discipline, and contractor coordination.

If you operate in this space, expect continued regulatory attention. The ongoing bizSAFE review is likely to put more pressure on smaller contractors and the project owners who engage them.

Manufacturing: Stable at the Top, Shifting Within

Manufacturing contributed 124 fatal and major injuries — 20% of the national total. The overall rate barely moved, from 29.3 to 28.8. But the internal picture is more dynamic:

• Metalworking improved significantly, dropping from 48 injuries to 37 — suggesting targeted enforcement on machinery safety and noise hazards may be working.
• Food and beverage manufacturing worsened, rising from 33 to 40 injuries. Moving equipment, wet floors, manual handling, line cleaning, and contractor interface risks all contribute.
• The sector also accounted for 10 of 23 dangerous occurrences nationally — fires, explosions, and structural failures that indicate catastrophic potential.

Any manufacturing site that separates "safety" from "health" is missing the full picture. Machinery incidents, NIHL, WRMSD, and process hazards all sit in the same operational environment.

Transportation and Storage: Going the Wrong Direction

This is arguably the most concerning sector result in the report. Transportation and Storage saw its fatal and major injury rate rise from 18.4 to 23.8. Major injuries jumped from 40 to 57.

The biggest driver was not fatalities — those actually decreased. It was slips, trips, and falls, along with a rise in work-related traffic accidents within the sector (from 3 to 9 fatal and major injuries).

For warehouse, logistics, and fleet operators, this is a wake-up call. Pedestrian routes, vehicle-pedestrian interfaces, loading bay design, dock operations, flooring, drainage, and housekeeping all deserve the same management attention as vehicle crashes.

Platform Workers: Now Visible for the First Time

2025 is the first year that platform worker injuries appear in the national data. The numbers are significant:

• 2 fatalities and 74 major injuries among platform workers
• A fatal-and-major injury rate of 84.6 per 100,000 platform workers — dramatically higher than the national average
• Vehicular incidents accounted for 62 of the 76 fatal and major injuries among platform workers

This data gives MOM and tripartite stakeholders a baseline for the first time. Expect more targeted interventions as the data matures, and expect scrutiny over route risk, rider behaviour, scheduling pressure, and safety incentives for any organisation engaging delivery ecosystems or last-mile services.

Occupational Diseases Surged 14%

While injury performance improved, occupational disease cases rose from 899 to 1,028 — a 14% increase. The rate climbed from 24.4 to 27.5 per 100,000 workers.

Two conditions dominated:

• Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL): 550 cases
• Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD): 317 cases — up 27% from 249 in 2024

Together, NIHL and WRMSD made up 84% of all occupational disease cases. Manufacturing led with 396 cases, followed by Health and Social Services (190 cases, driven heavily by WRMSD from patient handling) and Construction (90 cases).

Singapore's injury story is improving faster than its occupational health story. Noise, ergonomics, repetitive strain, and cumulative exposure risks persist quietly in the background while fatality prevention gets the spotlight. The long-term cost — compensation, absenteeism, restricted work, productivity loss — adds up.

Dangerous Occurrences: A Warning Signal

MOM recorded 23 dangerous occurrences in 2025, up from 19. Ten involved structural or equipment failures. Thirteen involved fires and explosions. Manufacturing accounted for nearly half.

These numbers are small compared to injury counts, but they matter because each one represents a catastrophic-potential failure. If your facility has lifting operations, process hazards, combustible dust, flammable materials, pressure systems, or ageing plant, this data should prompt a review of your prevention barriers.

What Your Organisation Should Do With This Data

1. Do not let the record-low fatality rate create complacency. National averages can improve while your sector still carries substantial risk. Treat the data as proof that targeted controls work — not proof that the problem is solved.

2. Audit your small works management. If you engage in renovation, A&A, or fit-out projects, review your pre-job planning, supervision depth, work-at-height controls, and contractor coordination.

3. Take occupational health as seriously as safety. Noise monitoring, hearing conservation programmes, ergonomic assessments, and manual handling training are not optional extras. They address the largest and fastest-growing part of the disease burden.

4. Review slips, trips, and falls with fresh eyes. The Transportation and Storage data shows that these "low severity" events are not low priority. Loading bays, walkways, flooring, drainage, and housekeeping programmes deserve structured management attention.

5. Prepare for platform worker scrutiny. If your operations or supply chain involve delivery riders or last-mile logistics, start assessing route risk, scheduling practices, and safety incentives now. The regulatory focus is coming.

The Bottom Line

Singapore's 2025 WSH performance is genuinely encouraging. A sub-1.0 fatality rate is a significant achievement. But the operational lesson is not "job done." It is focus harder on known high-risk sectors and persistent health burdens.

The full report is available on MOM's WSH reports and statistics page. Every safety professional and operations leader in Singapore should read it — not just the press release, the actual data.

Need help interpreting how these national trends affect your operations? DASH Consult provides WSH compliance reviews, sector-specific risk assessments, and occupational health programme support across Singapore. Get in touch.