Statutory Overview & Legal Framework
Singapore workplace safety is governed by the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) framework administered by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), while work-injury compensation is governed by the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA). Employers must take reasonably practicable measures to protect workers and others affected by work, conduct risk assessments, implement controls and provide appropriate instruction, training and supervision. WICA covers most employees working under a contract of service or apprenticeship, regardless of salary, age or citizenship, but compulsory WICA insurance applies specifically to all employees doing manual work and to employees doing non-manual work who earn S$2,600 or less a month, excluding specified wage components. WIC insurance policies must be issued by a MOM-designated insurer. Work injuries requiring medical leave, hospitalisation leave or light duty, as well as fatal accidents and reportable occupational diseases, trigger MOM reporting obligations. From 1 November 2025, the maximum WICA compensation limits increased to S$53,000 for medical expenses, S$346,000 for permanent incapacity and S$269,000 for death.
Employer Duties Under the WSH Framework
requirements:
Conduct risk assessments for routine and non-routine work activities.
Take reasonably practicable measures to eliminate hazards or reduce risks.
Provide safe work systems and procedures.
Provide adequate instruction, information, training and supervision.
Ensure machinery, equipment, plant, articles and processes are used safely.
Develop and implement emergency procedures.
Review risk assessments at least once every 3 years and when significant changes, new machinery/substances/procedures or relevant incidents occur.
record Keeping: Employers should keep risk-management records. MOM states that risk-assessment documents do not normally have to be submitted to MOM in advance, but inspectors may require them during inspections or investigations.
consultant: A company does not have to hire an external consultant to conduct risk assessments. It can conduct its own assessments if it has the necessary capability.
Who Is Covered by WICA?
coverage: WICA generally covers local and foreign employees engaged under a contract of service or contract of apprenticeship, regardless of salary, age or citizenship.
exceptions:
Independent contractors and self-employed persons
Domestic workers
Members of the Singapore Armed Forces
Uniformed personnel of the Singapore Police Force
Uniformed personnel of the Singapore Civil Defence Force
Uniformed personnel of the Central Narcotics Bureau
Uniformed personnel of the Singapore Prison Service
claim Scope: An eligible employee can generally claim for work-related injuries or diseases even where employment later ends or the work pass is cancelled, provided the statutory conditions are satisfied.
Who Must Have Compulsory WICA Insurance?
manual Workers: All employees doing manual work must be covered by compulsory WIC insurance regardless of salary.
non Manual Workers: Employees doing non-manual work and earning S$2,600 or less per month must be covered.
salary Calculation: For the S$2,600 non-manual threshold, MOM excludes overtime payments, bonuses, annual wage supplements, productivity incentive payments and allowances.
local And Foreign: The compulsory insurance rules apply to qualifying local and foreign employees.
designated Insurer: For policies starting from 1 January 2021, the WIC policy must be issued by a MOM-designated insurer and comply with MOM's compulsory terms.
pre Renewal: Employers should review the occupations and number of employees on the policy and provide accurate information to the insurer.
advance Information: MOM states that employers should finalise insurance contracts and provide the insurer with the required information at least 21 days before policy commencement.
When Must an Employer Report a Work Injury?
non Fatal: For a non-fatal work accident resulting in hospitalisation leave, outpatient medical leave or light duty, the employer must submit an incident report within 10 days from the employer's first notice of the accident.
fatal: For a fatal accident, the employer must notify MOM as soon as possible and submit the incident report within 10 days of the accident.
occupational Disease: Reportable occupational diseases are subject to MOM's occupational-disease reporting requirements. The statutory disease list and rules were updated from 1 December 2025.
subsequent Death: If an employee later dies from the injury or disease, MOM should be notified immediately.
portal: Employers generally use MOM's incident-reporting eService/iReport route for applicable work-accident reports.
WICA Compensation
benefits:
Medical leave wages
Medical expenses
Lump-sum compensation for permanent or current incapacity
Lump-sum compensation for death
medical Expenses
maximum: S$53,000
period: Medical expenses relating to the work accident incurred within 1 year from the accident date, or until the S$53,000 limit is reached, whichever comes first.
permanent Incapacity
minimum: S$116,000 × percentage of permanent incapacity
maximum: S$346,000 × percentage of permanent incapacity
additional Care: For 100% permanent incapacity, an additional 25% compensation is payable for care costs under the statutory rules.
death
minimum: S$91,000
maximum: S$269,000
medical Leave Wages: Medical-leave wages are calculated under WICA based on average monthly earnings and the type and duration of medical or hospitalisation leave. Special rules apply to hospitalisation leave and light duty.
fault: WICA is generally a no-fault compensation framework. Eligible workers do not have to prove employer negligence to make a WICA claim, although statutory exclusions and separate common-law rights can affect the overall position.
What an Employer Should Do After a Work Injury
1
Arrange Medical Treatment
Ensure the injured employee receives appropriate medical attention.
2
Record the Accident
Document when and where the incident occurred, what happened, witnesses, injuries and the work activity involved.
3
Check Whether MOM Reporting Is Required
Determine whether the accident resulted in medical leave, hospitalisation leave, light duty or death, and check the occupational-disease reporting rules where relevant.
4
Submit the MOM Report
Submit the required incident report within the statutory deadline.
5
Notify the Designated Insurer
Notify the WIC insurer and provide the supporting policy and employee information.
6
Pay Statutory Benefits
Meet the employer's obligations for medical expenses and medical-leave wages while the claim is being processed.
7
Support the Claim Process
Provide the insurer and MOM with medical, payroll and employment information required for assessment.
Workplace Risk Assessment
method:
Hazard identification
Risk evaluation
Risk control
controls: Controls should follow the hierarchy of control, prioritising elimination and safer alternatives before relying on administrative controls or personal protective equipment.
review: Review the risk assessment at least once every 3 years and sooner where there are significant changes, new machinery, substances or procedures, or an injury or incident linked to hazard exposure.
bizSAFE Programme
status: bizSAFE is a Workplace Safety and Health Council programme that helps companies build workplace safety and health capabilities.
not Mandatory: bizSAFE participation is not a blanket statutory requirement for every Singapore employer.
business Use: Some buyers, tenders or contracts can require a particular bizSAFE level, so commercial requirements should be checked separately from statutory WSH obligations.
important: Do not describe bizSAFE as the legal source of an employer's WSH duties. Those duties arise from the WSH Act and subsidiary legislation.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Employers must buy compulsory WIC insurance for all employees doing manual work regardless of salary, and for employees doing non-manual work who earn S$2,600 or less per month, excluding overtime, bonuses, annual wage supplements, productivity incentive payments and allowances.
WICA generally covers local and foreign employees employed under a contract of service or apprenticeship regardless of salary, age or citizenship, subject to statutory exceptions. Compulsory insurance coverage is narrower than the overall WICA coverage.
A non-fatal reportable accident generally must be reported within 10 days from the employer's first notice if it results in hospitalisation leave, medical leave or light duty. A fatal accident must be notified to MOM as soon as possible and reported within 10 days.
For accidents from 1 November 2025, medical expenses are capped at S$53,000. Permanent-incapacity compensation is capped at S$346,000 multiplied by the applicable percentage of incapacity, and death compensation is capped at S$269,000, subject to the statutory calculation rules.
Employers must identify hazards, evaluate risks, implement controls and communicate the risks to affected workers. Risk assessments should be reviewed at least every 3 years and sooner when significant changes, new machinery, substances or procedures, or relevant incidents occur.
No. bizSAFE is a Workplace Safety and Health Council capability-building programme rather than a universal statutory employer licence. However, particular customers, tenders or contracts may require a company to hold a specified bizSAFE level.
Legal Disclaimer: This page is general informational content, not workplace-safety, employment, insurance, compensation or legal advice. WSH duties, WICA insurance requirements and claim/reporting obligations depend on the worker, workplace, incident and applicable legislation. Verify the current MOM requirements before relying on this information.
Verification Standard: Official MOM and Workplace Safety and Health Council sources checked in August 2026. No government endorsement, approval, accreditation or official verification of this website is claimed.
Primary Statutory References & Government Portals
- • MOM — Workplace Safety and Health Act: Responsibilities of stakeholders
- • MOM — Risk management
- • MOM — Who is covered under WICA
- • MOM — Work injury compensation insurance
- • MOM — Work-related accidents: what and when to report
- • MOM — Types of compensation under WICA
- • MOM — Work injury compensation designated insurers
- • MOM — Updated occupational disease coverage under WSHA and WICA
- • Workplace Safety and Health Council — bizSAFE
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ACRA Compliance at a Glance
WSH authorityMinistry of Manpower
Compulsory WIC insuranceManual workers + non-manual ≤ S$2,600
Accident reportingGenerally within 10 days
Medical expense capS$53,000
Permanent incapacity capS$346,000
Death compensation capS$269,000
Documents Checklist
- WSH risk assessments and risk-control records
- Safe work procedures and emergency procedures
- Training and supervision records
- WIC insurance policy from a MOM-designated insurer where compulsory
- Workplace accident and incident records
- MOM incident-report submissions where applicable
- Medical reports and medical-leave records for claims
- Payroll records supporting medical-leave wages and compensation calculations
- bizSAFE records where the company participates or a commercial contract requires them
Key Pitfalls to Avoid
✕ Saying WICA insurance is compulsory for every employee.
✓ Compulsory WIC insurance applies to all employees doing manual work and to non-manual employees earning S$2,600 or less, while WICA itself covers a broader class of employees.
✕ Saying every work accident must be reported within 10 days of the accident.
✓ For non-fatal reportable accidents, the 10-day period runs from the employer's first notice of the accident. Fatal accidents must be notified to MOM as soon as possible and reported within 10 days.
✕ Treating S$2,600 as the WICA coverage limit for all employees.
✓ The S$2,600 threshold applies to compulsory insurance for non-manual employees. Manual workers require compulsory insurance regardless of salary.
✕ Using the old WICA compensation caps.
✓ For accidents from 1 November 2025, the current maximum medical-expense, permanent-incapacity and death figures are S$53,000, S$346,000 and S$269,000 respectively.
✕ Calling bizSAFE a mandatory WSH licence for every company.
✓ bizSAFE is a WSH Council capability programme; statutory WSH duties apply independently of bizSAFE participation.
✕ Assuming risk-assessment documents must always be submitted to MOM.
✓ MOM states companies do not generally have to submit risk-assessment documentation, but records should be kept and can be requested during inspection or investigation.