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

An occupational disease (OD) is a condition arising from workplace exposures, which you can find in this list. Under the Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSHA) and Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA), there are 38 reportable ODs. 

Diseases not listed but confirmed by a doctor to be caused by exposure to workplace chemical or biological agents, can still be reported on WSH Incident Report. Please select “Occupational disease – others” from the list of occupational diseases and provide the diagnosis and details about the condition in the “Description of OD” field.   

• WSHA and WICA: These are Singapore laws governing workplace safety and health. Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSHA) and Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA).
• OD List: Refers to the 38 occupational diseases outlined in the Second Schedule of WSHA and WICA.
• Incident report: Also known as WSH incident report. An online platform used by employers, doctors, and platform operators to report work injuries or occupational diseases.

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

All employers and platform operators are required to report ODs within 10 days of being notified of the diagnosis via WSH Incident Report.

Doctors are required to report ODs within 10 days of diagnosing the OD via WSH Incident Report.

If the 10-day timeline has passed, please still report the OD promptly so that MOM can follow up appropriately.

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 may wish to notify your employer or platform operator of the requirement to report ODs within 10 days of being informed of the diagnosis. If the report is still not submitted, you can also make an iReport online.

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

This update aligns both Acts, ensuring the same list of 38 ODs is reportable and compensable under WSHA and WICA.

• Expanding “work-related musculoskeletal disorders” beyond upper limbs to all, including the lower back. Doing so ensures that workers who suffered from lower back injuries due to workplace ergonomic risk factors are also protected under the laws.
• Expanding “occupational infectious diseases” beyond “Tuberculosis” to provide coverage for all work-related infectious diseases in healthcare, laboratory and research settings, which are higher risk settings for work exposure to infectious diseases. 
• Removing “poisoning by carbon dioxide gas” and “ulceration of the corneal surface of the eye” from the list of occupational diseases, as these conditions are commonly caused by accidents rather than exposure to work-related risk factors. However, should there be cases of corneal ulceration of the eye arising from chronic workplace exposures, they can still be reported under the general OD clause, which allows reporting of other diseases not listed in the OD Schedule that arise from work. 

We also took the opportunity to make editorial changes to nomenclature and OD categories.

From 1 December 2025, the OD “Noise-induced deafness” has been renamed to “Noise-induced hearing loss”. When submitting the WSH Incident Report, please select “Noise-induced hearing loss” from the list of occupational diseases and provide the diagnosis and details about the condition in the “Description of OD” field. 

To be considered an “occupational infectious disease”, the doctor must confirm the infectious disease and assess it to be work related. Some examples include Tuberculosis, Chickenpox, Hepatitis B and C (contracted from needlestick injuries) which can be acquired during the course of work in healthcare, research facilities or laboratory settings. For these three high-risk settings, employers are required to report work-related infectious diseases under “occupational infectious disease”.

Infectious diseases acquired during the course of work, outside the three high-risk settings, namely healthcare, laboratory or research settings, can also be reported to MOM.

Tuberculosis (TB) contracted from exposure to patients with active TB in the provision of care, or from handling infectious TB material in the healthcare, laboratory or research settings should be reported under the category “Occupational infectious disease”. When submitting the incident report, please select “Occupational infectious disease” from the list of occupational diseases and provide the diagnosis and details about the condition in the “Description of OD” field. 

There is no need to report cases of exposure to TB. 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.

If your employee contracts an infectious disease such as Hepatitis C through a needlestick injury as part of their work in the hospital:

• The attending medical practitioner must confirm the diagnosis and inform the employer.
• Both the medical practitioner and employer must report the disease as an “occupational infectious disease”

As the results for bloodborne infections are negative, there is no need to report it as an occupational infectious disease. However, the needlestick injury should be reported as a workplace accident.

HFMD arising from work-related exposures such as direct patient contact within the healthcare setting, if assessed by a doctor to be work-related, would be considered “Occupational infectious disease”. When submitting the incident report, please select “Occupational infectious disease” from the list of occupational diseases and provide the diagnosis and details about the condition in the “Description of OD” field.

In childcare settings, employees may be exposed to infectious diseases.  If the doctor assessed that the infectious disease is work-related, this can be reported to MOM.

Doctors, employers and platform operators may now report the work-related wrist sprain as a “Work-related musculoskeletal disorder”. When submitting the WSH Incident Report, please select “Work-related musculoskeletal disorder” from the list of occupational diseases and provide the diagnosis and details about the condition in the “Description of OD” field. We recommend uploading supporting reports as well.

Low back disorders and knee pain are common conditions. If the doctor diagnoses the condition as work-related, it may be reported as an OD. When submitting the WSH Incident Report, please select “Work-related musculoskeletal disorder” from the list of occupational diseases and provide the diagnosis and details about the condition in the “Description of OD” field.

A musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) arising from exposures to ergonomic risk factors at work can be considered work-related. The assessment and confirmation must be done by a doctor.

The risk factors include prolonged awkward or static postures, repetitive motions, handling of excessive loads, sudden forceful movements, prolonged vibration and contact stress. Work examples include manual work with lifting of heavy objects, bending or twisting, and sudden overloading of the spine.

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.

To be considered an occupational disease, the doctor must confirm the condition and assess it to be work-related. When it is assessed to be work-related, employers, and platform operators are required to report ODs within 10 days of receiving notification of the diagnosis. 

Reporting is required when an OD is diagnosed by a doctor, regardless of whether the employee or platform worker is recovering or has recovered or returned to work. This is because some ODs are permanent and irreversible in nature such as noise induced hearing loss.

Doctors 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 you are 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 1 November 2025 to:

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

New ODs will be eligible for OD 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.

To support workers through the transition, workers can continue to claim OD compensation for the removed conditions up till 30 Nov 2026. From 1 Dec 2026, these removed conditions will stop being ODs but will continue to be compensable as work-related accidents.