The Impact of Hand Injuries on Employees, Employers and Injury Compensation in Singapore

摘要

As Singapore attempts to clamp down on poor OHS performing organizations through the demerit point system (MOM, 2010), they have implemented more balanced compensation legislation for workplace injuries in order to protect the employer and employee. The rate of injuries has fallen over the last ten years, however, the number of claims and the amount paid out has increased. The figures published by the Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MOM) shows a sharp increase, in compensation payout's, since the introduction of the new Work Related Compensation Act 2008 e.g. between 2008 and 2009, there was a rise of S$9 million, the largest increase seen by the MOM (2008).rnThe Singapore Ministry of Manpower indicates on their website (MOM, 2006b) that the number of hand and finger injuries has fallen gradually from around 2112 reported cases in 1996 to 1619 in 2005, however the overall amount of compensation paid out, for the hand and finger category, is unclear. In addition to this, the level of disablement, whether temporary or permanent, for hand and fingers per industry is also not clear, however there is an indication that 'other factors' other than the construction and shipbuilding sectors carry the highest number of disabling injuries (MOM, 2006c).