In brief
Every workplace where chemicals are present, used or processed is within the scope of this regulation. The employer first collects hazardous chemicals and their Turkish-language safety data sheets, then carries out a risk assessment that includes exposure, applies measures in the order substitution → engineering → collective protection → PPE, and places workers at risk under health surveillance. The 2023 amendment states explicitly that exposure must be determined by authorised laboratories.
Who does the OHS regulation on working with chemical substances cover?
The full name of the text commonly referred to in practice as the OHS regulation on chemical substances, or simply the chemical substances regulation, is the Regulation on Health and Safety Measures in Work with Chemical Substances. It was published on 12 August 2013 and significantly updated by the amending regulation of 20 October 2023.
Its scope is broad: all workplaces where chemical substances are present, used or processed in any way that fall under Law No. 6331 on Occupational Health and Safety (Art. 2). In other words, not only chemical factories but also a metal workshop with a paint line, a printing works using solvents, a food business using detergents and an office with cleaning chemicals are within scope. There is a separate regulation for carcinogenic and mutagenic substances; this regulation also applies without prejudice to its provisions.
The 2023 amendment clarified two definitions:
- Hazardous chemical substance: Substances meeting the physical or health hazard criteria of the Regulation on Classification, Labelling and Packaging (SEA), as well as substances that, although not falling within that scope, pose a risk because of their properties and the way they are used, or for which an occupational exposure limit value has been set.
- Occupational exposure limit value: The upper limit of the time-weighted average concentration in the breathing zone over a specified reference period (TWA, STEL), or the upper limit that must not be exceeded at any moment (CEILING).
The Regulation sets out a four-step chemical risk management process for the employer.
Step 1: Inventory and the Turkish-language Safety Data Sheet
The employer first determines whether hazardous chemical substances are present in the workplace (Art. 6/1). There are often more hazardous chemicals in a workplace than people think: alongside those used in production, the maintenance team's oils, sprays and cleaning products also go on the list. In practice, this means a chemical inventory. The inventory should have the following columns for each product:
| Column | Why is it needed? |
|---|---|
| Product name and supplier | To request the safety data sheet and track changes |
| SDS date and revision | A risk assessment cannot be based on an outdated data sheet |
| Hazard statements (H statements) | Show the health and physical hazards |
| Section and job where it is used | Shows where exposure occurs |
| Quantity and frequency of use | A mandatory input to the risk assessment (Art. 6/2-ç) |
| Number of people using it | Determines the scope of measures and health surveillance |
| Route of exposure | Inhalation, skin or ingestion; changes PPE selection |
| Storage location | To separate substances that affect each other |
The basic document to be used in the risk assessment is the Turkish-language Safety Data Sheet prepared in accordance with the Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals and supplied by the supplier (Art. 6/2-b). Manufacturers or suppliers of chemical substances are obliged to provide the information needed for the risk assessment at the employer's request (Art. 9/3). For products whose data sheet is in a foreign language or was issued years ago, send a written request to the supplier.
Step 2: A risk assessment that includes exposure
The chemical risk assessment is carried out in accordance with the Regulation on Occupational Health and Safety Risk Assessment and takes particular account of the following (Art. 6/2):
- The health and safety hazards of the substance,
- The Turkish-language safety data sheet provided by the supplier,
- The type, level and duration of exposure as determined by an authorised laboratory,
- The quantity used, conditions of use and frequency,
- Occupational exposure limit values and biological limit values,
- The effect of measures taken or to be taken,
- The results of previous health surveillance, if any,
- Where more than one chemical is used, the interaction of the substances with each other,
- Exposure in work such as maintenance, repair, installation, commissioning and decommissioning.
Items three and nine were added by the 2023 amendment. Item three requires exposure to be determined not by "estimation" but by a laboratory authorised under the Regulation on Occupational Hygiene Measurements, Tests and Analyses. Item nine makes it mandatory to include non-routine work such as tank cleaning and breakdown response, where accidents are frequent, in the assessment.
A new activity involving hazardous chemicals may only start after the risk assessment has been carried out and the measures identified have been taken (Art. 6/4). Bursa Sistemer does not have its own laboratory for workplace measurements: we plan measurements with authorised laboratories and enter the results into the risk assessment. We explained the general steps of the assessment in our risk assessment guide.
Step 3: Chemical exposure measures, substitution first
Article 7 of the Regulation ties measures to an order of priority. The first question is always: can I replace this chemical with a less hazardous one? If substitution is not possible, the following order is applied according to the risk assessment:
| Priority | Measure | Example from the field |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Substitution | A water-based cleaner instead of solvent-based degreasing |
| 2 | Process and engineering control | Closed filling system, automatic dosing |
| 3 | Collective protection | Local exhaust ventilation at source, general ventilation, work organisation |
| 4 | Personal protection | A mask with a suitable filter, chemical-resistant gloves, goggles |
Alongside this order, the Regulation also requires: minimising the number of workers working with hazardous chemicals and the duration of exposure, keeping the quantity of chemicals in the workplace at the minimum level required, providing suitable conditions for personal hygiene and handling waste safely. Having regular measurements made of chemicals that may pose a risk to workers' health, and repeating measurements after every change affecting exposure, is also the employer's duty (Art. 7/1-h). Whenever the occupational exposure limit value is exceeded, protective and preventive measures are taken as soon as possible.
There is also an order of priority for fire and explosion risk: first, flammable substances are prevented from reaching hazardous concentrations; if this is not possible, ignition sources are eliminated; and if that is not possible either, the effects of a fire or explosion are limited (Art. 7/1-i). For choosing the right extinguisher, see our article on types of fire extinguisher, and for PPE selection, our article on the Regulation on the Use of PPE.
Step 4: Training, emergencies and health surveillance
Training and information (Art. 9): Workers are informed about the results of the risk assessment, recognition of the hazardous chemicals in the workplace and their health risks, exposure limit values, safety data sheets, and the labelling and locking of containers and installations holding hazardous chemicals. The information is supported by verbal instructions and written information and updated as conditions change.
Emergencies (Art. 8): Information on hazardous chemicals and response and evacuation procedures are kept ready, and easy access to them is ensured not only for internal teams but also for external first aid, rescue and fire brigade teams. Only personnel provided with suitable PPE and special safety equipment enter the affected area.
Health surveillance (Art. 12): Workers found in the risk assessment to be at risk in terms of health are placed under appropriate health surveillance. For work with substances that have a biological limit value, surveillance is carried out in accordance with the procedure in Annex 2. Individual health and exposure records are kept for each worker; workers have the right to see their own results. If activity at the workplace ends, the employer hands these records over to the SGK (Social Security Institution) provincial directorate. If surveillance detects a sign of disease or a biological limit value being exceeded, the risk assessment is reviewed, measures are renewed, the worker is moved to work without exposure if necessary, and the health of other workers exposed to the same substance is also checked. We plan tests with authorised health institutions within the scope set by the workplace physician.
Annex 3 of the Regulation also lists substances whose production and use above specified concentrations is prohibited; these substances may only be worked with in limited cases such as scientific research, with permission from the Ministry and in a fully closed system (Art. 11).
Documents requested in inspections
Chemical-intensive activities such as textile dyehouses, leather processing, metal plating, paint and plastics processing are widespread in Bursa; inspections at these businesses usually start with the same documents:
- A current chemical inventory,
- A Turkish-language safety data sheet for each product,
- A risk assessment that includes chemical exposure,
- Workplace measurement reports from an authorised laboratory and a record showing that they have been entered into the risk assessment,
- Maintenance records for extraction and ventilation systems,
- Chemical training records and PPE issue records,
- Individual health and exposure records,
- A chemical emergency response procedure.
The 2026 base administrative fine for not having the required measurements carried out is 33,326 TL; the amount is increased according to the number of workers and the hazard class. You can use the OHS administrative fines tool for the calculation.
For building the inventory, chemical risk assessment and measurement planning, see our risk assessment service, and for health surveillance, our health surveillance service. Sector-specific risks are on our chemicals and plastics page, and our service model in the OIZs (organised industrial zones) in Nilüfer is on our Nilüfer OSGB page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are cleaning chemicals in an office also covered by this regulation?
Yes. The Regulation covers all workplaces where chemical substances are present or used. The work to be done in an office is usually simple: collecting the products' safety data sheets, storing them properly, giving instructions such as the prohibition on mixing, and providing suitable gloves for cleaning staff.
Who provides the safety data sheet?
The supplier. The data sheet must comply with the Regulation on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals and be in Turkish. Suppliers are obliged to provide the information needed for the risk assessment at the employer's request.
How often are chemical workplace measurements carried out?
The Regulation does not set a fixed period; it requires measurements to be made regularly and repeated after every change affecting exposure. The frequency is determined in the risk assessment according to previous measurement results and how close they are to the limit value.
What tests are carried out on workers who work with chemicals?
The workplace physician determines the tests according to the substance exposed to and the risk assessment. For substances with a biological limit value, the procedure in Annex 2 of the Regulation is applied.
A risk assessment that identifies and scores hazards on site, links each measure to an owner and a date, and has a clear renewal schedule.
Bursa SİSTEMER OSGB Technical Team — written from the field experience of our OHS specialists and workplace physicians. Legal information is valid as of the publication/update date; contact us for an assessment specific to your business.