Are you ready and well-prepared for the new Occupational Health and Work Safety Law?

The Ministry of Labor re-organized the working life with a new law issued.  With the Law No. 6331 entered into force in January 2013, the work-place risk assessment and employee trainings steps have become mandatory for all businesses types and for all companies including the small and medium ones.

Below you may find the outline of the recent requirements concerning employment of Worksite Doctors and Worksite Security Officers at the work places.

The application and transition processes of the Law is as follows;

• For the public institutions and work places with less than 50 employees and included in the little dangerous class, the law is to be applied two years after the publication, (after 01 July 2014),
• For the work places with more than 50 employees and included in the dangerous and very dangerous class, the law is to be applied one year after the publication, (after 01 July 2013),
• For the other work places, six months after the publication, (after 01 January 2013).

In accordance with the aforementioned statement, as of 1 July 2016,  by the inclusion of public institutions and work places with less than 50 employees, all companies will become liable to act in line with the said law.

In the content of the Occupational Health and Security and published regulations, each firm having at least 1 employee has to employ a doctor and security officer depending on the danger class of the business during certain periods of a month.

These services can be provided via personnel employment by the company within their own structure or be provided by OSGB (Joint Health and Security Unit). Instead of hiring full time personnel, the firms can get these services with less costs for the periods determined by the Law. Besides, the companies will not make expenses on the compulsory fixtures and medical materials to be born in case of hiring doctor and security officer within their own structure, in other words OSGB.

With the Law No. 6331 and othe legislations, employers have to fulfill the liabilities stated below;

• Making risk assesment or have it made.
• Preparing “emergency action plan”.
• Arrangement of “occupational healt and safety” training to all employees.
• Arrangement of “vocational” training programs for the personnel working in dangerous and very dangerus work sites.
• Establishment of “Occupational Health and Safety” committee for the workplaces having 50 and more employees.
• Election and assigment of employee representatives.

In case of non-compliance with said Law of No. 6331 and relevant regulations, severe administrative fines shall be applied in accordance with the degree of non-compliance.