Calendars and Digital Tools for Tracking OHS Deadlines

Why are OHS deadlines missed?

Most documents found missing in an inspection are not tasks that were never done, but tasks that were not renewed on time: an overdue refresher training, a forklift inspection that should have been carried out a year ago, an expired first aider certificate. There are a few common reasons for this:

• Dates are scattered. Training records are kept by human resources, medical examination results by the workplace physician, equipment reports by the maintenance unit and the drill form by the OHS specialist.
• Person-based dates drift. Every new worker's start date triggers their own training and medical examination calendar. A collective training day does not put everyone on the same calendar.
• Event-driven deadlines are forgotten. Events such as a workplace accident, a long absence, a new machine or a relocation create new deadlines that are not in the calendar.
• No owner is defined. A date that "everyone knows" is a date nobody tracks.

This article explains which dates should be tracked, how to set this up with a simple spreadsheet and what to look for when choosing OHS tracking software.

Which dates are tracked?

The table below summarises the dates most commonly tracked in manufacturing companies in Bursa and the surrounding provinces, and their intervals. The intervals are maximums; a standard, the manufacturer's instructions or the workplace physician may set a shorter interval.

Event-driven deadlines are added to these:

• Basic training is completed within 3 months at the latest after starting work; induction training is given before starting work.
• For child, young and pregnant workers, periodic medical examinations are carried out at least every 6 months.
• A worker who has been away from work for more than six months is given refresher information training before returning.
• A workplace accident is notified to the SGK (Social Security Institution) within 3 working days after the accident; additional training is given to the worker after the accident.
• The contract and assignment in ISG-KATİP (the Ministry's online OHS registration system) are approved by both parties within 5 days at the latest.
• In workplaces with an OHS committee, the committee meets at least once a month; in the hazardous class the committee can reduce this to every two months.

For details of the new training regulation, see the text of the New OHS Training Regulation 2026 and our summary of the new regulation.

Starting with a simple spreadsheet: an OHS Excel tracker

In a company with up to fifty people, a well-built spreadsheet is often enough. A useful OHS Excel tracking file follows these rules:

1. Each row is a single "person + task" or "equipment + task" pair. One worker's refresher training is one row; the same worker's periodic medical examination is a separate row. Squeezing all of a person's dates into one row makes filtering impossible.
2. The columns are fixed: Name or equipment code, department, task type, date last carried out, interval (months), next date, days remaining, status, owner, document location.
3. The next date is calculated with a formula. In English Excel, the formula =EDATE(D2,E2) adds the number of months in E2 to the last date in D2. For days remaining, use =F2-TODAY().
4. The status is written automatically. With a formula such as =IF(G2<0,"OVERDUE",IF(G2<=30,"DUE SOON","OK")) and conditional formatting, overdue rows appear in red and those due soon in yellow.
5. The interval is not typed by hand but selected from a list. A "task type – hazard class – months" table is kept on a separate sheet and the interval is pulled from there. That way, when the hazard class changes, it is updated in one place.
6. The document location is recorded. As important as the date is where that document will be found during an inspection: the folder name or file path.

The weakness of a spreadsheet is that it does not remind you by itself. A weekly checking habit is therefore essential: every Monday the "status" column is filtered and the yellow rows are passed to their owners.

Training renewal tracking: person-based dates

The most common mistake in training renewal tracking is to think of training as "the company's training day". In fact, each worker's calendar starts with their own start date. A good arrangement is set up as follows:

• Three dates are opened on the start date: Induction training (the same day, before starting work), the deadline for basic training (within 3 months at the latest) and the first periodic medical examination date.
• When basic training is completed, the refresher date is calculated: one year later in the very hazardous class, two years in the hazardous class and three years in the less hazardous class.
• Absences and returns are recorded. When the return date of a worker on long sick leave or unpaid leave is entered, a refresher information training row is opened if the absence exceeds six months.
• The first aider certificate is flagged three months before it expires. Update training must be taken within the three months before the certificate's validity ends.

For documenting training and the record-keeping arrangement, read our article on OHS training certificates and records.

Periodic inspection reminders: working with an equipment list

Tracking on the equipment side is easier than on the person side, but there is one precondition: an up-to-date equipment inventory. Forklifts, pallet trucks, cranes, compressor tanks, presses, fire extinguishers and the electrical installation should be on a single list, each with a code. Newly purchased or hired equipment should not be used until it is on the list.

Points to watch in periodic inspection reminders:

• The next date is calculated from the date of the last inspection report; the maximum interval cannot be exceeded.
• For equipment with a "not suitable" or "conditionally suitable" result in the report, the inspection to be carried out once the deficiency has been remedied is opened as a separate row.
• Fire extinguishers are checked on site once a year; the hydrostatic test and renewal of the extinguishing agent at the end of the fourth year are entered in the calendar separately.
• The contract with the person or organisation that will carry out the inspection is made through ISG-KATİP before the inspection; the reminder must therefore arrive well ahead of the inspection date.

For intervals and equipment groups, see our article on periodic inspection intervals, and for the meaning of the results in the report, how to read a periodic inspection report.

What to look for when choosing OHS tracking software

As the number of workers grows, or when there is more than one branch or shift, a spreadsheet is no longer enough. When assessing an OHS tracking programme or software, ask these questions:

1. Can people and equipment be tracked separately? If the programme only tracks training, a separate spreadsheet is still needed for equipment.
2. Are intervals calculated automatically according to the hazard class? When the class changes, all dates should be recalculable.
3. Who receives the reminder? The e-mail or notification should go not only to the OHS specialist but also to the manager of the unit that will do the work.
4. Can documents be attached? The training attendance form, inspection report or drill form should sit next to the date.
5. Is health data kept separate? Only authorised persons should have access to the physician's records.
6. Can data be exported? Records should not be lost when the programme or the OSGB (joint health and safety unit) changes.

Do not think of ISG-KATİP as a reminder tool. The system was set up to handle assignment and contract processes; tracking the training, medical examination and equipment inspection dates in your workplace remains the responsibility of the employer and the persons it appoints.

Reminder routine: the 90-30-7 day rule

Whatever the tool, the reminder routine follows the same logic:

• 90 days before: Planning. A group is formed for training, a date is discussed with the inspection company, a first aid update course is researched.
• 30 days before: Confirmation. The date, place and participants are set; they are entered in the shift plan.
• 7 days before: Final check. Participants are reminded and missing documents are completed.
• End of month: Review. For every overdue row, a reason and a new date are written.

This calendar becomes meaningful when combined with the annual work plan. The training, drills and inspections planned at the start of the year are fed by the dates on the tracking list. For preparing the plan, see our article on the annual work plan. To calculate dates quickly, you can use our free OHS renewal calendar tool; it calculates renewal dates from the last dates you enter and generates a file you can add to your calendar. We take on the regular running of this tracking in your workplace under our OHS specialist service.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it mandatory to use OHS tracking software?

No. The legislation does not require software; what is mandatory is fulfilling obligations on time and keeping records. In a small company, a regularly maintained spreadsheet may be enough.

How is the training renewal date calculated?

The refresher training interval is set according to the hazard class: every year in very hazardous, every two years in hazardous and every three years in less hazardous workplaces. The date of each worker's last training is used as the basis.

How do I calculate the due date automatically in Excel?

In English Excel, the formula =EDATE(last_date,number_of_months) adds a given number of months to a date. You can find the days remaining with =next_date-TODAY() and colour them with conditional formatting.

Can we rely on ISG-KATİP and not keep separate tracking?

No. ISG-KATİP handles assignment and contract processes; tracking the training, medical examination and equipment inspection dates in the workplace is the employer's responsibility. Keep a separate calendar or programme for these dates.