The Impact of Law No. 6331 on Work-Related Incidents in Türkiye (2007–2023): Standardization Analysis of City-Level Data for Compulsory Insured Workers

Informal workers account for 60% of workforce in Indonesia. Most do not have access to occupational health and safety (OHS) services. The study aims to explore the implementation of community-based...

The OHS services of SMEs are still in their start-up stage in China. As such, there is an absence of mature market norms, which in turn makes it difficult to guarantee the quality of OHS services. The government, as the “night watchman” of the market, is supposed to not only involve itself in the regulation of OHS service quality, but also introduce and implement proper regulatory strategies. This paper employs a computational experiment approach to construct an experimental platform based on multiagent interactions. By simulating the OHS service transaction activities of SMEs, this paper takes the perspective of dynamic evolution. From this perspective, we probe into the optimal regulatory strategy covering the positive influence of government punishment, policy supports, and service quality ratings of the OHS services of SMEs. These strategies should be built on the foundation of proper punishment standard and intensity, proper support standard and intensity, and quality rating information disclosure.

The adverse impact of occupational accidents and occupational diseases on the society have recently increased a lot since the industrial-oriented society is getting more and more widespread. Although attempts regarding occupational health and safety (OHS) increase in Turkey, they are still at an inadequate level. OHS experts prepare employees for a healthy and safer working environment, so that work accidents can be eliminated and employees can be healthy psychologically and physically. At the same time, the worksites can be prevented from being financially damaged and productivity can be improved. The aim of this study is to measure OHS service quality by the evaluations of OHS experts from various sectors and workplaces. In this way, the OHS performance is measured, the difference between perceptions and expectations of the OHS experts is determined and deficiencies are revealed. In the study, the OHS activities are examined in five dimensions using the SERVQUAL scale; tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. The questionnaire is carried out using a Likert-type five-point scale among 81 OHS experts from different sectors. In conclusion, SERVQUAL analysis is introduced as a useful tool for employers to better understand what they need to know about OHS services.

BackgroundOccupational health and safety network in Thai medical schools (OHNMS) deal with occupational injury prevention and occupational health and safety (OHS) promotion network for health care workers (HCWs). It is...

Occupational health and safety (OHS) is a crucial requirement for all individuals involved in working life to work in healthy and reliable conditions. OHS service is provided by OHS personnel working in this role. One of the primary duties of OHS personnel is to guide employers so that employees can work in healthy and safe environments. In this context, enterprises in Türkiye can fulfill their service obligations with their expert personnel or through units that provide OHS services from outside the enterprise. Consultancy companies called Joint Health Security Unit (JHSU), which includes occupational safety specialists, workplace physicians, and other health personnel, have been established for outsourcing services. Despite providing OHS services to the employees in general, the physical and psychosocial risks faced by the OHS personnel serving in JHSU with a wide working area are ignored. This study handles the scheduling problem of the OHS personnel working in a JHSU and aims to realize the business assignment that would ensure an equal and fair distribution of the workload of the personnel. In this way, the physical and psychosocial risks OHS personnel face have been reduced. In line with the targeted purpose, the assignment of 2 workplace physicians, five occupational safety specialists, and one other health personnel in JHSU with 43 workplaces was carried out using the goal programming method. As a result, the model solution ensured the employees’ equal and fair workload distribution.

Universities play a pivotal role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda through their educational mission, research activities, and contributions to social well-being, economic progress, and social cohesion. Beyond their conventional functions, universities can contribute to sustainability through the specific actions of their Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) services. This study explores the contribution of university OHS services to the achievement of the SDGs within the Spanish higher education system. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Spanish universities to identify OHS actions linked to the SDGs and to assess their institutional impact. The study presents a structured methodology that classifies OHS actions into specific and general categories, mapped across three strategic dimensions: person, environment, and culture. Results reveal that OHS services contribute to a wide range of SDGs, extending beyond the traditionally recognized SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). This research provides an original SDG Impact Matrix that highlights the multidimensional role of OHS services in fostering sustainability within universities. The findings offer valuable insights for integrating OHS strategies into institutional sustainability policies and expanding their role as active agents in the advancement of the 2030 Agenda.

Background:The design and implementation of sound occupational health and safety (OHS) programmes require understanding of the main issues that need attention. This article highlights key issues regarding the (i) organisation of OHS services in southern Africa, (ii) role of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in the provision of OHS services and (iii) implementation of policies in general.Methods:Relevant peer-reviewed journal articles, ILO conventions and policies were identified and discussed.Results:Inadequacies that exist on the organisation of OHS services in southern Africa include (i) lack of some critical categories of OHS practitioners, (ii) no emphasis on the surveillance of the work environment (iii) disregard of the worker’s right to refuse to work in unsafe work environments and (iv)non-coverage of some sectors of the economy. Further research is needed to identify additional efforts that the ILO requires to effectively discharge its OHS promotion mandate.Conclusion:Responsible authorities need to attend to the shortcomings of the national OSH laws and intergovernmental pacts.

The implementation of organized OHS services in companies sometimes faces problems relating to a resistance to change from the management, due to the fact that no gain is achieved in the1 INTRODUCTIONThe daily presence, in the media, of news referring to work-related accidents has been making our society more and more conscious of this unfortunate reality. Agents with responsibility in the area of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) have been developing multiple campaigns to raise awareness to the several types of work-related accidents and occupational diseases which occur in many sectors of activity. The legal obligation that companies organize their OHS services constituted a major step towards improving working conditions.

Review of Occupational Health and Safety Organization in Expanding Economies: The Case of Southern Africa

The systems approach to occupational health and safety (OHS) services and management in different sectors of employment have increasingly been recognized worldwide. Despite various endeavours, the vast global workforce in farming, amounting to nearly one billion, is grossly deprived of having access to OHS services. This contribution elucidates the core characteristics of the OHS management system (OHSMS) in different national and sectoral models. It analyses the effectiveness and challenges of the systems in the diverse sectors of employment, including farming. Besides, various OHSMS models and schemes have been elaborated with sector-specific applicability in different countries. The newly introduced ISO 45001:2018 has been suitably described to improve OHS effectively for all sections of occupational activity in both the developed and developing countries. The chapter brings a brief analysis of the challenges of OHSMS programmes for its application in the situations of SME, informal sectors, and agriculture, particularly in the populous nations like China and India. The implied challenge of permeating of OHS to the vast farming sector with small and marginal landholdings may be obviated through local infra-structure extensions, including public network building on good practices, and training at all levels. The step-wise processes designed as the basic occupational health services (BOHS) for the development of the OHS system in agriculture is illustrated. A suitable implementation of BOHS tailored to the country’s agricultural system is a viable avenue for development and continual improvement OHS facility. The strategy may be directed towards evolving a programme development that includes the participation of multi-dimensional stakeholders to the range of OHS functions and activities. With the participatory objective, the BOHS has the potential and promise to bring in innovative, cost-effective, simple, and flexible approaches for development on health and safety in the agriculture sector.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution and Its Impact on Occupational Health and Safety, Worker's Compensation and Labor Conditions.

The agricultural sector holds strategic economic importance due to its roles in food production, employment, and providing raw materials to industry. Türkiye is a significant agricultural country with its biological diversity, favourable climate conditions, and agriculture-based sector. According to the labor force statistics of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), as of 2023, approximately 4.7 million people are employed in the agricultural sector in Türkiye, with the majority being seasonal workers. The farm sector includes field farming, livestock, fisheries, and forestry. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is vital for the sustainability of the agricultural sector. The Occupational Health and Safety Law No. 6331, which came into force in 2012, has mandated OHS provisions for all enterprises and employees in the agricultural sector. This study examines the statistics on work accidents, occupational diseases, and lost workdays in Türkiye's plant and animal production sector between 2018 and 2022 and evaluates the current state of OHS practices. Based on data from the Social Security Institution (SGK), the analysis reveals that 13,993 work accidents and 96 fatal work accidents occurred in the plant and animal production sector between 2018 and 2022, with the highest frequency of work accidents recorded in 2022. Additionally, 13 cases of occupational diseases were reported during the same period. An examination of temporary incapacity durations shows 133,008 days of incapacity reports, with the highest number occurring in 2021, influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study's findings indicate that OHS practices in the agricultural sector are inadequate and need improvement. In light of these findings, various policy recommendations have been developed, such as the widespread implementation of OHS training, increased health screenings, and stricter OHS inspections.

Today, occupational health and safety (OHS) practices are made mandatory in all sectors by the agreements signed by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and its member countries, and each country implements the terms of these agreements into its own legislation. The fishing industry is classified as hazardous in terms of occupational health and safety in Türkiye and around the world. In the Turkish legislation, it is stated that “Fishing in sea and coastal waters (including purse seine fishing and fisheries)” is included in the dangerous class with the code 03.11.01 in the Annex-1 Workplace Hazard Classes (NACE) list of the “Communiqué on Workplace Hazard Classes Related to Occupational Health and Safety” published in the official gazette on 26.12.2012. Fishing activities are particularly intense in the Western Black Sea region. However, studies on occupational health and safety are very limited, both regionally and nationally. In our study, occupational health and safety practices in 6 sample fishing vessels in the İnebolu district of Kastamonu Province, which was selected as a pilot region, were examined by creating a checklist within the scope of the “Regulation on Health and Safety Measures in Work Performed on Fishing Vessels” based on the law numbered 6331 and were subsequently evaluated with the 5×5 L type matrix method. In addition, percentage differences were determined with our original methods, and in practice, it was determined which differences caused what kind of problems or improvements. For purse seiners, 22 main risk groups and 89 sub-risk groups were identified. For trawlers, 21 main risk groups and 85 sub-risk groups were identified. The first 19 main risk groups and the first 78 sub-risk groups identified for both purse seiners and trawlers are the same. The other main and sub-risk groups are risk factors specific to purse seiners and trawlers. The results were then compared statistically, identifying differences and similarities. The results were also supported with tables and heat maps. As a result, detailed risk analyses have been conducted to reveal the current situation and possible improvement suggestions for fishing vessels that receive or do not receive OHS services.

Occupational Health and Safety Services (OHSS) in hospitals are based on formal actions to prevent and reduce occupational accidents to ensure a safe working environment. The aim of this study is to examine the correlation between OHSS actions and Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) results, and particularly the reduction of accidents in hospitals in a health region in Greece. We developed and used questionnaires to gather survey data. The data was correlated with the help of data analysis methods (descriptive statistics, correlation indicators, regression analysis) to calculate statistical measures and produce groupings of results. We declare that respondents have provided consent for the research to be conducted. Formal actions were associated with the outcome for OHS (0.8096, <0.0001). Of the formal actions in hospitals of the 1st health region, Safety Technicians (ST) showed an inversely high negative correlation with the accident rate (-0.566, <0.02), while OHSS showed a moderately negative correlation with the accident rate (-0.387, <0.02). Occupational Physician (OP) services at an early stage because some hospitals do not use ST or Occupational Physician (OP) services, do not have Risk Assessments (RA) or Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS), or do not collect data through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The present case study showed that formal actions are associated with OHS outcomes and accident reduction, where recorded. In many hospitals, formal actions are not ensured results or accidents are recorded. Further research on this issue is needed in the future.

Occupational health and safety (OHS) is considered one of the most important factors for a sustainable development; however, it is often considered a luxury by decision-makers. This article compares OHS systems of 18 countries at different stages of development. In an international summer school, structure of the national OHS system, definition of occupational accidents and diseases, procedures for compensation claims, outcome (expressed as incidence of occupational accidents) and training opportunities were presented. National OHS systems ranged from non-existent to systems implemented almost 200 years ago. Priorities, incidence of occupational accidents and training opportunities varied. Common problems included the lack of OHS service for small enterprises and in rural areas. International training programs like this summer school might enhance the exchange about OHS opportunities around the globe and contribute to improved workers health.