Mandatory Reporting of Workers' Injuries by Doctors

10 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will consider requiring immediate reporting by doctors to the Ministry of work injuries that require 24 or more hours of hospitalisation or when three or more days of medical leave is required, considering that the current system relying on employers to report voluntarily may lead to the under-reporting of injuries.

The Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Teo Ser Luck) (for the Minister for Manpower): Madam, under the Workplace Safety and Health Act and Work Injury Compensation Act, it is mandatory and not voluntary, for employers to report any work-related accident resulting in an employee's death, or hospitalisation for at least 24 hours, or medical leave for more than three days.

It is an offence for employers not to notify the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) of the reportable accidents. MOM has taken enforcement actions against errant employers for persistent late reporting of minor injuries after repeated reminders, or delayed reporting of a serious work injury. Since 2014, seven such employers were taken to task.

Currently, injured employees, their dependants and representatives as well as doctors can submit an incident report directly to MOM online or in person if they are concerned that the employer may not report the accident. However, I would like to emphasise again that the primary responsibility to report accidents should rightfully rest with the employer.

Mdm Speaker: Mr Louis Ng.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I have two clarifications. One, from 2010 to 2011, the number of reported cases of Occupational Diseases (OD) already almost doubled from 432 to 839 cases. As MOM noted, this rise was primarily due to efforts to address potential under reporting. Specifically, MOM had been engaging medical practitioners to encourage them to report ODs. Can the Minister of State clarify whether the under reporting for OD previously, would be the same for work injuries?

I asked this Parliamentary Question because the Minister of State has stated that more accurate reporting will aid better analysis of workplace health issues, so that we can better address concerns holistically. I also understand that there are concerns of administrative burden to doctors. Can the Minister of State clarify whether doctors can also use the "iReport", which they currently use to report ODs, for work injuries as well?

Mr Teo Ser Luck: I thank the Member for the supplementary question. Currently, employers are still primarily responsible for ensuring the safety and health of their employees at work. They are required to report any work-related injuries or OD when the reporting conditions are met. They should be promptly notified and be involved in the investigation process as well. But unlike injuries, the onset of OD, as the Member has stated, is usually gradual and, in some instances, the victim may have changed employers or the workplace may have ceased to exist.

Hence, it could be difficult for the employer to detect and be aware of an OD under such circumstances. Therefore, we require the doctors to report ODs to give us a better picture of the occupational health situation. This is an approach that is similar to countries, such as Germany, Denmark and Hong Kong. More than 95% of the cases for injuries that MOM sees are reported by employers today. This is a relatively high compliance. We will continue to monitor closely before taking further action or impose further requirements on doctors. And yes, they can use the "iReport".