WSH: More non-fatal injuries at workplaces
The number of non-fatal workplace injuries increased last year, due mainly to an increase in minor injury cases.
But the fatal injury rate at workplaces last year was similar to 2015 at 1.9 per 100,000 employed persons, according to a report released yesterday by the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Institute.
There were 66 workplace fatalities last year, with the construction sector accounting for the largest number.
But the number of fatalities in construction fell from 27 in 2015 to 24 last year, and the fatal injury rate decreased to 4.9 per 100,000 employed persons, the lowest since 2007.
The marine sector saw an increase in fatalities, from four in 2015 to six last year.
Fatalities in the manufacturing sector also increased, with nine last year, compared with six in 2015.
Most of the 66 fatalities were due to falls and by workers being struck by moving objects.
The number of major workplace injuries decreased slightly to 594 cases last year, while minor injuries went up by 5.7 per cent from 11,688 cases in 2015, to 12,354 cases last year.
Most major injuries involved crushing, fractures and dislocations.
The second leading injury type involved amputations, with 143 workers suffering partial or complete loss of a body part.
Meanwhile, occupational disease cases fell from 935 in 2015 to 732 last year.
As in 2015, the leading occupational diseases were noise-induced deafness and work-related musculoskeletal disorders, which together accounted for 87 per cent of all such cases.
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