Workplace Safety and Health Challenges for Older Adults in Singapore

This report analyzes the occupational safety and health (OSH) challenges faced by older adults in Singapore's workforce. It highlights demographic data, including workplace injury rates among different age groups, revealing a concerning trend of increasing injury cases, particularly in the 55+ age bracket. The report focuses on the construction industry, identifying falls and falling objects as major causes of injury. It also provides recommendations for improvement, such as enhanced training programs to upgrade skills and promote safety awareness among older workers, along with a call for greater management responsibility in implementing safety legislation to ensure safer workplaces. The analysis draws upon data from the Ministry of Manpower, emphasizing the need for proactive measures to protect the aging workforce and ensure their continued contribution to the economy.

Running head: OSH CHALLENGES IN OLDER ADULTS
OSH Challenges in Older Adults
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1OSH CHALLENGES IN OLDER ADULTS
Introduction
Along with the advancement of time, it is reported that most of the work forces in
multiple industries of this world are getting old and thus affecting the performances of the
work force in a worldwide manner. The condition of Singapore is not at all difference from
the situation of the world. According to the study of Ciutiene and Railaite (2015), it is
reported that the man power is the fundamental driver of the advancement of economy of a
particular country. The reduction of labour power in the domestic work forces of the
Singapore will definitely affect the man power supply of the country. In order to make a
significant contribution to the economy of the country it is the duty of the managers to
provide a safe and secure workplaces to the aging work forces of Singapore. The
identification of the issue in the country has promote the country to take adequate action for
securing the work places for the aging man power (Takala et al. 2014). In this essay, the
problem of aging population regarding the occupational safety and health issues in Singapore
are discussed in a brief manner.
Facts Demographics
It is reported that Singapore has initiated the process of the work place health and
safety establishment in the work places of Singapore. As a part of this, they have
construvcted a few national guideline for securing a good work places for the workers of the
country and the number of aged employee in the country has greatly enhanced in ;last few
years as well. However, it is the success of the country that, the work place fatality rate has
greatly decreased from 4.9 per 100,000 employee to 1.9 per 100,000 employee in the work
places of the country (Ministry of Manpower 2018). However, it is reported by the WHS
department of the country that the number of older employees in the country are not at all
completely safe regarding the injuries related to work health and safety issues as well.

2OSH CHALLENGES IN OLDER ADULTS
From the data of the National Work Health and Safety report of the country it is reported
that although the rate of work place injuries has improved a lot in last decade, still there is a
lot of space in case of improvement in this area that is work related injury among the older
adults of the country. In the year of 2006, there was 460 employees out of 100,000
employees in the country who faced any kind of injury related to their work (Ministry of
Manpower 2018). After the implementation of the new plan for securing the safety of the
employees in the work places, the condition has improved and it is reported that in the year of
2015, there was 364 incidents of the work place injuries out of 100,000 employees who are
within the age group of 40 years to 54 years. In case of the employees in the age group of 55
years or more the condition is not at all convincing and it is reported that, inspite of overall
improvement in the condition, the accident cases in this age group of workers are enhancing.
In last three years, it is reported by the National WSH Authority of the country, that there is
almost 2% increment in the injury cases in the age group of 55 years or more aged workers of
the country (Ministry of Manpower 2018). In the 2014, the rate of minor injuries in the older
aged workers of Singapore was almost 13.8%, while the percentage of the major injuries was
0.9% and there was only 0.1% cases in which the worker faced fatal injuries. By keeping the
similarities in the presented data, in the year of 2015 the rate of minor injuries among the
older workers of the country was 15.8% and the rate of major injuries had also enhanced to
1.0%. However, the percentage of the fatal injuries remained same in 2015 as well and that
can be marked as a good sign for the country. The condition of the older workers related to
the occupational injuries in the first half of 2016, has become a serious area of concern as the
rate of injury has greatly enhanced to 18% and the rate of major injury and fatal injury
remained same (Ministry of Manpower 2018).
Occupational Safety and Health Issues Faced

3OSH CHALLENGES IN OLDER ADULTS
The primary occupational safety and health issues faced by the older workers of the
country is associated with the construction industry of the country. From the report of the
WHS statistics, it is reported that in the year of 2014, the fall injuries among the employed
person was almost 1.1 per 1000 employees. Along with this it is also reported that almost 0.7
per 1000 employee faced injury cases due to hit by falling objects in the work places. The
overall injury rate was almost 3.6 per 1000 employee in the country. In the construction
industry, it is reported that, almost 87% of injury cases were due to the lack of proper risk
assessment program in the work places (Ministry of Manpower 2016).
Recommendations
In order to improve the condition of the older workers in the work places of Singapore
a few steps can be recommended. As a part of the first recommendation, it can be suggested
that, among the older employees of the work forces, more hands on competent training
should be arranged so that the older workers can upgrade their existing their skills and can
actively participate in the process with the younger workers. Along with this, there must be
training and awareness program related to the safety practices in the work places so that they
can be more aware about the risks and hazards present in that particular work places (Herrera
2018). As a second recommendation, it can be suggested that, the management of a particular
organization should take more responsibility in the implementation of the safety legislation of
the country so that they can offer a safer work places to the older workers of the work forces
of the country (Jafari et al. 2014). Hence, it can be concluded that, such recommendation may
improve the condition of the older workers of the country.

4OSH CHALLENGES IN OLDER ADULTS
References
Ciutiene, R. and Railaite, R., 2015. Age management as a means of reducing the challenges
of workforce aging. Engineering Economics, 26(4), pp.391-397.
Herrera, M., 2018. Work and Aging: A Review from the Employer’s Perspective.
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The influence of safety training on safety climate factors in a construction site. International
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Ministry of Manpower, 2016. Workplace Safety and Health in Singapore Healthcare
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2019]
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