FAQs on updated coverage of reportable and compensable occupational diseases (ODs) under WSHA and WICA

Some examples include Tuberculosis, Chickenpox, Hepatitis B and C (acquired from needlestick injuries) that can be acquired from work. For employees who are in the three high risk settings, namely laboratories, research facilities or healthcare settings, employers should report work-related infections as “Occupational infectious disease”.

Infectious diseases acquired during the course of work, outside the three high-risk settings, namely laboratories, research facilities, or healthcare settings, can also be reported to MOM under “Occupational disease – others.”

From 1 December 2025, work-related Tuberculosis (TB) arising from exposure to patients with active TB in the provision of healthcare services, or from handling infectious TB material in the healthcare, laboratory or research facility settings should be reported under the category “Occupational infectious disease”. Please select “Occupational infectious disease” from the dropdown menu and provide the diagnosis and details about the condition in the “Description of OD” field.

Cases of Latent TB do not need to be notified as it is not active. These individuals do not have any symptoms (such as cough) and cannot spread TB to others.

From 1 December 2025, occupational infectious diseases acquired in the provision of healthcare services or from exposure to infectious biological material handled in healthcare facilities will be notifiable under WSHA and compensable under WICA.

As the results for bloodborne infections are negative, you do not have to report this as an OD. However, it should be reported as a workplace accident for the needlestick injury. The employee remains eligible for work injury compensation under WICA.

From 1 December 2025, occupational infectious diseases arising from exposure to infectious biological material handled while working in laboratories or research settings would be notifiable under WSHA. They are also compensable under WICA.

HFMD arising from work-related exposures such as from direct patient contact within the healthcare setting, if assessed by a doctor to be work-related would fall under the category of “Occupational infectious disease”, which is an OD.

From 1 December 2025, occupational infectious diseases acquired in the provision of healthcare services or from exposure to infectious biological material handled in healthcare facilities are notifiable under WSHA and compensable under WICA. This reflects the recognition that exposure to infectious diseases is an occupational hazard in the healthcare setting.

HFMD arising from exposure outside of healthcare, laboratory or research facility settings should not be notified under “Occupational infectious disease”.

However, if the doctor assessed that the condition is work-related, it can be notified as an OD under “Occupational disease - others”. Employees in childcare settings may face exposure to infectious diseases while caring for children.

From 1 December 2025, employers and platform operators may now report the work-related wrist sprain as “Work-related musculoskeletal disorder”. Please select “Work-related musculoskeletal disorder” from the dropdown menu and provide the diagnosis, details about the condition and nature of work in the “Description of OD” field.

If the doctor diagnosed a worker with work-related low back disorder, it would be considered an OD.

From 1 December 2025, employers and platform operators may now report a worker with work-related low back disorder as “Work-related musculoskeletal disorder”. Please select “Work-related musculoskeletal disorder” from the dropdown menu and provide the diagnosis, details about the condition and nature of work in the “Description of OD” field.

If the doctor diagnosed that your medical condition is due to work, it would qualify as an OD, and you can notify it as a “Work-related musculoskeletal disorder”.

Your doctor must report it within 10 days of diagnosis. Your employer or platform operator must also report it within 10 days of receiving the diagnosis.

Injuries due to an accident at the workplace should be reported as a workplace accident rather than an OD. Workers remain eligible for work injury compensation under WICA.

The two conditions should be reported as separate ODs despite arising from the same work activity. Please submit two separate OD reports for this case.

This update aligns both Acts, ensuring the same list of 38 ODs is reportable and compensable under WSHA and WICA. In light of MOM's increased attention to occupational health, it is timely to establish clear distinctions between work injuries and occupational diseases.

• Expanding work-related musculoskeletal disorders involving the upper limb and spine to include other work-related musculoskeletal disorders such as low back disorders. Doing so also ensures that low back disorders due to workplace ergonomic risk factors over a prolonged period are correctly classified as ODs.
• Moving “Poisoning by carbon dioxide gas” and “Ulceration of the corneal surface of the eye” outside the scope of occupational diseases, to be rightly covered under work injuries.

We also took the opportunity to make editorial changes to nomenclature and OD categories, as well as align both OD lists in WSHA and WICA.

“Poisoning by carbon dioxide gas” has been removed because this condition is reclassified as an accident. It is generally caused by specific incidents rather than prolonged exposure to work-related risk factors. It remains compensable under WICA as a work injury.

Employers or platform operators may now report “Poisoning by carbon dioxide gas” as work-related accidents.

“Ulceration of the corneal surface of the eye” has been removed because this condition is reclassified as an accident. It is generally caused by specific incidents rather than prolonged exposure to work-related risk factors. It remains compensable under WICA as a work injury.

Employers or platform operators may now report “Ulceration of the corneal surface of the eye” as work-related accidents.

From 1 December 2025, the OD “Noise-induced deafness” has been renamed to “Noise-induced hearing loss”. Please select “Noise-induced hearing loss” from the dropdown menu when filing your report.

The harmonised Second Schedules for both Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSHA) and Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) comprise 38 reportable ODs.

In addition, diseases resulting from workplace exposure to chemical or biological agents not listed in the OD schedule may also be reported to MOM under “Occupational Disease – others”.

The harmonised Second Schedules for both WSHA and WICA comprise 38 reportable ODs. All ODs are compensable under the WICA.

All employers and platform operators are required to report ODs within 10 days of receiving notification from the worker on the diagnosis.

Medical practitioners are required to report ODs within 10 days of diagnosing the OD. ODs should be reported to MOM via the WSH Incident Reporting.

Employers, platform operators, and medical practitioners have separate duties under the WSHA to report ODs to MOM. This is to ensure that no cases go unreported and facilitate MOM’s tracking of the incidence of ODs.

You should inform your employer or platform operator that they are required to report the OD to MOM within 10 days of receiving the diagnosis. In the event your employer or platform operator refuses to do so, you may submit the iReport online.

Occupational diseases should be reported within 10 days of receiving the diagnosis.

You may report ODs via the WSH Incident Reporting.

If you are unsure whether a condition is work-related, you may refer the worker to any doctor to make a diagnosis. If further assessments are required, the worker can be referred to an Occupational Medicine or relevant clinical specialist to determine work-relatedness of the condition.

Doctors, employers and platform operators are only required to report ODs when the diagnosis is confirmed and is determined to be work-related.

Reporting is required when an OD is diagnosed, regardless of whether the employee or platform worker is recovering or has recovered or returned to work. This is to facilitate MOM’s accurate tracking of the incidence of ODs.

You may consult the WSH Guidelines: Diagnosis and Management of Occupational Diseases for more information on proper diagnosis and confirmation of ODs.

For complex cases or if unsure, you may also refer cases to an Occupational Medicine specialist.

For employees or platform workers who left employment, they can still claim work injury compensation for the OD if the date of diagnosis is within the limitation period from the date they left employment.

Generally, employees or platform workers should file a claim within one year of the date of diagnosis, with exceptions only if the claimant passes away within the one-year period or if the Commissioner is satisfied that the delay is due to mistake, absence from Singapore, or any other reasonable cause.

Please refer to Who is covered in accordance with WICA or Work injury compensation for platform workers.

The limitation period of ODs in the WICA are stipulated in the Third Column of the Second Schedule of WICA.

The limitation periods are set at between one and three years after the last day of employment or exposure to hazardous agents to strike a balance between employers’ obligations and workers’ right to compensation.

The Second Schedule of WICA will be updated to reflect the harmonised list and limitation periods of ODs on 1 December 2025.

Under the Work Injury Compensation Act 2019, claims for ODs are subject to the compensation limits for death, permanent incapacity and medical expenses.

As announced in February 2024, to keep pace with inflation and healthcare costs, the compensation limits would be revised on 11 November 2025 to:

• $269,000 for death
• $346,000 for permanent incapacity
• $53,000 for medical expenses

New ODs will be eligible for work injury compensation under WICA as long as both conditions are fulfilled:

1. The OD is diagnosed within its limitation period
2. The claim is filed on or after 1 December 2025.

Generally, the claim should be filed within one year of the date of diagnosis, with exceptions only if the claimant passes away within the one-year period or if the Commissioner is satisfied that the delay is due to mistake, absence from Singapore, or any other reasonable cause.

There will be a transition period, and more operational details will be released prior to 1 December 2025. These removed conditions will continue to be compensable as work-related accidents after they stop being compensable as ODs.