Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Guide for Employers in Türkiye

Creating a safe, healthy and productive work environment improves employee satisfaction and keeps your business legally compliant. Türkiye’s occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation sets out clear obligations for employers. In this guide, you will find the steps you need to take on workplace health and safety, along with practical examples.

Whether you run a small business or a large corporation, the steps below will help you build a sustainable safety culture in your workplace.

Employers’ Core Obligations Under the OHS Law

What Are Employers’ OHS Responsibilities Under Law No. 6331?

OHS legislation in Türkiye is based on Occupational Health and Safety Law No. 6331. Under this law, employers are responsible for protecting the health and safety of their employees, identifying risks in advance and taking preventive measures.

The core obligations are:

• Taking workplace safety measures

• Conducting a risk assessment

• Providing OHS training to employees

• Appointing an OHS specialist and a workplace physician, or obtaining these services from a joint health and safety unit (OSGB)

Since 1 January 2025, this obligation also covers workplaces in the low-hazard class with fewer than 50 employees. In low-hazard workplaces with fewer than 10 employees, the employer or employer’s representative can carry out these services personally after completing the required training.

What Are the Steps to Implement OHS? From Risk to Action

1. Identify the hazards in the workplace.

2. Analyze and prioritize the risks.

3. Prepare preventive action plans.

4. Monitor implementation through regular inspections.

How to Set Up an Occupational Health and Safety Committee

Requirements for an OHS Committee: The 50-Employee Threshold

Workplaces with 50 or more employees where continuous work lasting longer than six months is carried out must set up an OHS committee. The committee includes the employer or employer’s representative, the OHS specialist, the workplace physician, a person responsible for human resources or administrative affairs, the civil defense specialist (if any), a foreman or supervisor (if any) and an employee representative.

OHS Coordination Between Principal Employers and Subcontractors

If more than one employer operates in the same work area, OHS measures should be planned together and employers should inform each other about risks. In a principal employer and subcontractor relationship, the principal employer should monitor that OHS measures are also applied to the subcontractor’s employees and ensure that everyone follows a single safety plan.

Risk Assessment and Emergency Planning

How Should Employers Conduct a Risk Assessment? Step by Step

1. Identify all hazards in the workplace.

2. Analyze the likelihood and severity of these hazards.

3. Plan preventive measures.

4. Renew the assessment at least every 2 years in very hazardous workplaces, every 4 years in hazardous workplaces and every 6 years in low-hazard workplaces. Update it right away when new machinery, processes or building changes are introduced, or after a workplace accident.

Preparing an Emergency Plan: Which Scenarios Should Be Considered?

The plan should cover scenarios such as earthquakes, fires, explosions and chemical leaks. Make sure employees are prepared by holding regular drills.

OHS Training and Health Surveillance

How to Provide OHS Training to Employees

Occupational health and safety training should be provided before employees start work and at regular intervals afterwards. Training covers topics such as hazards, equipment use and the correct use of personal protective equipment. Refresher training must be held at least once a year in very hazardous workplaces, at least once every two years in hazardous workplaces and at least once every three years in low-hazard workplaces.

Periodic Medical Examinations and Health Surveillance

Employers are required to have their employees undergo regular health checks. These checks help prevent occupational diseases.

Using Digital Tools in OHS Processes

Keeping risk assessments, training records and health surveillance in digital form makes inspections easier and ensures that no obligation is overlooked. On the hiring side, quickly reaching the right candidates for roles such as OHS specialists, workplace physicians or certified technical staff helps you build a strong safety culture from the start.

Remember: Occupational health and safety is not just a legal requirement; it is also a strategic investment that increases employee engagement and productivity.

Take action now to keep your workplace safe. Create your profile on İşin Olacak, reach the right OHS specialist candidates or post your own job listing to lay the foundations of a safe work environment.

Note: This article is for general information purposes only. For obligations specific to your workplace, we recommend consulting your OHS specialist or the current legislation published by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of Türkiye.