Speech by Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash at NTUC U Safe Awards Ceremony

Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash

President of NTUC Sister K Thanaletchimi,

award recipients,

and distinguished guests.

1. Good afternoon. This year marks the 20-year milestone of the Workplace Safety and Health Act or the WSH Act. As we celebrate how far we have come, we are also reminded of the need to chart our course forward under the theme "Keeping Singapore's WSH Framework Future Ready." This theme reflects our fundamental belief that workplace safety is not a destination, but a journey of continual improvement.

    

2. Over the past two decades since the WSH Act came into force, we have witnessed transformation in our safety and health landscape. The workplace fatal injury rate per 100,000 workers had declined from 4.9 in 2004 to 0.96 in 2025, proving our shared commitment and the success of our joint efforts.

    

3. Today, the Ministry of Manpower has released the National WSH Report 2025, which gives further details of our performance over the past year. The statistics are indeed encouraging.

    

4. Our fatal injury rate of 0.96 per 100,000 workers and major injury rate of 15.7 [i] per 100,000 workers in 2025 are both the lowest on record, except for 2020 when the pandemic disrupted work. Singapore workplaces are now among the safest globally.

    

5. When we look at the data more closely, we observe that the Construction and Manufacturing sectors improved but remained the top two contributors to workplace fatal and major injuries over the last decade, and in 2025. These two sectors contributed 44% of all fatal and major injuries last year.

    

6. We recognise the challenges in these sectors, and we are putting renewed focus on reducing risks for our workers in these industries.

    

   1. For the construction industry, the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of National Development, and Building and Construction Authority are developing comprehensive measures to strengthen WSH outcomes for construction projects.
      1. Since April 2024, we have raised the WSH requirements for public sector construction and construction-related projects, including a requirement to adopt mature WSH technologies when construction tenders are valued at or above $3 million.
      2. We are also reviewing other promising solutions, such as the use of video analytics and Artificial Intelligence to detect WSH hazards and trigger real-time alerts. In the second half of 2025, MOM initiated the SafeSite VA project, a multi-agency collaboration to pilot video analytics across 14 construction sites for worksite safety monitoring. After the pilot concludes in June this year, we will work with BCA and public sector agencies to make video analytics a requirement for public sector construction projects.

          

   2. Additionally, the Ministry of Manpower has observed an increasing number of WSH contraventions in the Food and Beverage Manufacturing industry. We will continue working closely with the Singapore Food Agency to conduct joint inspections and raise awareness of safety regulations and best practices.

    

7. Our commitment to workers’ safety extends beyond preventing fatal and major injuries. Minor injuries and occupational diseases also negatively affect workers' well-being, productivity, and employment longevity. This is also important, given that the average age of our workers is getting older. The data reveals persistent trends that demand our attention:
   1. Slips, trips, and falls have dominated our injury statistics for the past decade, consistently ranking as the top cause of both major and minor workplace injuries.
   2. Equally concerning is the rise in occupational diseases, where work-related musculoskeletal disorders represent 41% of all occupational diseases over the same period.

    

8. To co-create innovative solutions to these challenges, MOM will launch the Alliance for Action on Safety and Health for Employment Longevity in partnership with NTUC and SNEF in the second half of this year. Through this alliance, we will support stakeholders in developing prototypes to tackle common workplace risks, with a view to scaling successful solutions.

    

9. Our commitment to worker safety extends to platform work as well. For the first time, we have released injury statistics for platform workers, as Platform Operators have been required to report these injuries since 1st January 2025. Delivery workers, especially those on two-wheelers, make up a significant portion of workplace injuries. Their job exposes them to hazards on public roads and pathways all day long, putting them at constant risk.

    

10. This reality highlights the importance of sustained efforts to improve platform work safety. We have already strengthened protections for this group in recent years, including through the introduction of the Platform Workers Act in 2025 which provides these workers with essential protections in safety, and work injury compensation.

     

11. Building on these efforts, we have established a Platform Worker Safety Workgroup under the Platform Workers Trilateral Group. The workgroup brings together representatives from government agencies, platform operators, NTUC and platform work associations, creating a dedicated platform to collaborate on developing further measures to improve platform worker safety. The workgroup will explore how to strengthen system incentives and safeguards to better protect platform workers from injuries at work. This includes enhancing detection and deterrence of unsafe behaviours, providing recognition and rewards for safety outcomes, and raising awareness of road safety risks and safe practices.

     

12. Today, we have the privilege of recognising our 12 distinguished award recipients who embody Singapore's commitment to WSH excellence.

     

13. Let me share the story of Asahi Kasei Synthetic Rubber, one of our award recipients today. Working closely with the Chemical Industries Employees' Union, Asahi Kasei introduced innovative crawler-based inspection technology and automated cleaning systems. These changes eliminated dangerous scaffolding work for internal tank inspections and removed the need for operators to manually clean equipment in harsh, high-temperature environments. Through the union, workers’ voices were heard throughout these transformations. Today, their workers benefit from reduced fall risks and physical strain. This shows how union-employer collaboration drives both innovation and safety.

     

14. Congratulations to all our award winners today! Your efforts demonstrate that excellence in WSH is not only achievable but also beneficial for both businesses and workers. You serve as inspiring examples for others to follow.

     

15. I would like to particularly thank our tripartite partners for their commitment and unwavering support in this endeavour. Together, we can continue to strengthen the safety culture in Singapore and to ensure that every worker returns home safely each day.I look forward to your continued commitment and support. Thank you.