In brief
OHS legislation makes no distinction by nationality; foreign national employees receive induction, basic and refresher training of the same duration and scope as Turkish employees. The difference is that training must be given in a way the employee can easily understand. The way to do this is through interpreters, visual instructions and hands-on demonstration. You verify that the training has been understood not by an attendance signature but by the employee showing and explaining the job.
Foreign national employee safety: what does the legislation require?
If half of the formwork team on a construction site does not speak Turkish, the morning warning "scaffolding is being dismantled on the north elevation today, do not go over there" has not reached half the team. Foreign worker OHS training is carried out to close this gap; and that is exactly what the legislation requires.
Law No. 6331 makes no distinction between employees by nationality. Foreign national employees are also covered by the same training, information, health surveillance and PPE obligations. Work permit procedures are governed by separate legislation (International Labour Force Law No. 6735) and do not change OHS obligations.
The Regulation on the Procedures and Principles of OHS Training for Employees, which entered into force on 2 April 2026, does not name a language, but it sets the criterion clearly:
- Comprehensibility (Art. 12/1): Basic training is organised individually or in groups in a way employees can easily understand.
- Suitability to level (Art. 9/2): Training content is prepared to suit participants' educational level, with examples from the work and working environment in the area where they work.
- Level assessment and measurement (Art. 16): The level is determined before basic training, and measurement and evaluation are carried out at the end; the employer evaluates the effectiveness of the training.
- Induction training (Art. 7): Delivered before work starts, for at least 2 hours, face to face and hands-on.
The same principle exists for PPE: under Art. 6/2 of the Regulation on the Use of PPE, instructions must be comprehensible to employees. Training given only in Turkish to an employee who does not speak Turkish does not meet this criterion, whatever its duration.
Construction is one of the most critical sectors in this respect; for example, site preparation (43.12.00) is in the very hazardous class. Details of training durations and topics are in our article on the new OHS training regulation 2026.
How does a language barrier turn into an occupational accident?
In accident reports, a language barrier is often recorded as "carelessness". Yet the root cause is communication. The moments when a language barrier is most dangerous on a construction site:
| Risk moment | How does the language barrier affect it? | Measure |
|---|---|---|
| Lifting loads with a crane | A verbal command is misunderstood or understood late | Standard hand signals, a signaller who speaks the team's language, common short commands on the radio |
| Scaffolding and work at height | Erection and use instructions cannot be read | Step-by-step instructions with photographs, hands-on demonstration |
| Excavations and trenches | The warning "stay away from the edge" is not understood | Physical barrier, visual boundary tape |
| Emergencies and evacuation | Announcements are not understood, the assembly point is not known | Introducing the alarm sound, an assembly point visual, responsibility of the team leader |
| Use of chemicals | Labels and the safety data sheet cannot be read | Pictogram training, a short safety card in the native language |
| Permit-controlled work | Permit conditions stay on paper | Pre-permit briefing with an interpreter and signed acknowledgement |
When investigating an accident or near miss, make the question "did the employee understand the instruction, and in which language was it given?" one of the standard questions of root cause analysis. For analysis methods, see our article on root cause analysis methods.
How is OHS training with an interpreter planned?
- Draw up a language inventory. Determine each employee's native language and Turkish level for speaking and reading separately; note those who cannot read or write. This is part of the level assessment required by the regulation.
- Choose the interpreter. It should be someone who knows both languages well and is familiar with OHS terminology. Making the team's most experienced worker the interpreter is common but risky: they may summarise what is said or skip things because "we already know this".
- Prepare a glossary. Agree the equivalents of critical words such as "anchor point", "assembly point", "permit to work" and "stop" with the interpreter before the training.
- Plan the time around interpretation. Interpretation lengthens the time needed. The lesson hours in the regulation are minimum times for content; topics should not be shortened because of interpretation.
- Make the material visual. Presentations should be based on photographs and drawings rather than text; photographs of your own workplace are the most effective material.
- Keep a complete record. Add the interpreter's name, the language interpreted and their signature to the attendance list; write the note "the training was given with interpretation into …" in the record.
Also assess the remote training option from a language perspective. Under the regulation, the first three topic groups can be delivered remotely, but in hazardous and very hazardous workplaces the job- and workplace-specific risks topic is delivered face to face. A remote training platform offered only in Turkish does not meet the comprehensibility criterion for an employee who does not speak Turkish.
Visual instructions and signs
Visual instructions are the tool that permanently reduces the language barrier. Features of an effective visual instruction:
- Steps with photographs: One photograph per step, with at most a few words.
- Right and wrong comparison: A cross over the photograph of the wrong practice and a tick over the right one.
- Short caption in the native language: A one-line explanation in the languages employees speak.
- Posted where it is used: The scaffolding instruction at the scaffold entrance, the machine instruction next to the cutting machine.
Health and safety signs create a language independent of words through their colours and shapes: prohibition, warning, mandatory and emergency signs. But this language must also be taught. Art. 6/2 of the Regulation on Health and Safety Signs requires employees to be trained on the meaning of signs and the behaviour they require. For types of sign, see our article on health and safety signs.
One more practical step: put a small label on the helmet or ID badge showing the language the employee speaks. The shift supervisor and OHS specialist can then see at a glance on site which language they need to use to reach whom.
Verifying that foreign worker OHS training has been understood
The signature on the attendance list shows that the employee was present at the training; it does not show that they understood it. The regulation requires measurement and evaluation at the end of basic training. The exam can be held remotely, face to face or by a combination of the two; anyone scoring at least 60 out of 100 passes, and anyone who fails can sit the exam at most twice more (Art. 16). The regulation does not require the exam to be written; a comprehensible method should be chosen for employees with low literacy.
| Verification method | When? | How is it recorded? |
|---|---|---|
| Oral exam with an interpreter | At the end of basic training | Question list, answers and score; interpreter's signature |
| Picture test | In groups with low literacy | A form for choosing the correct image |
| Hands-on demonstration | In induction training | The employee does the job and explains the steps in their own language; the trainer records it on the form |
| Site observation in the first week | After starting work | Observation form, mistakes corrected |
| Pairing (with an experienced employee who speaks the same language) | First days | Pairing list |
The golden rule in hands-on demonstration is: do not ask the employee "did you understand?"; the answer will almost always be "yes". Say "show me" instead. Ask them to put on the safety harness, point out the anchor point and walk to the assembly point. For the general flow of induction training, see our article on the induction training programme.
Daily communication routine on site
Training is given once; communication continues every day. Set up the following routine on site:
- Hold the morning talk in the team's language. The day's risks are explained in a two-minute briefing, interpreted by the team leader if necessary.
- Appoint a bridge person in each team. An employee who knows Turkish and the team's language and communicates directly with the specialist and the site manager.
- Standardise critical commands. Make sure everyone knows commands such as "stop", "lower", "raise" and "release" with the same word and hand signal. For communication in crane operations, see our article on tower crane safety.
- Hand out an emergency card. In the native language: the alarm sound, an assembly point map and whom to inform in an emergency.
- Monitor newcomers separately. Foreign national employees newly joining the site are paired with an experienced employee in the first days.
For the site's general inspection routine, see our article on the construction site OHS checklist.
In our OHS training service, we plan training according to your employees' language inventory, prepare interpreted sessions and visual materials with photographs of your own workplace, and adapt the measurement method to literacy levels. Other risks in the construction sector are on our construction page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Must OHS training be given to foreign workers in their own language?
The regulation does not name a language; it requires training to be given in a way employees can easily understand. If the employee does not understand Turkish, in practice this criterion is met by training given in their native language or with an interpreter.
Can the interpreter deliver the OHS training themselves?
No. The training is given by a trainer authorised under the legislation; the interpreter only passes on what is said. The interpreter's name, language and signature should be added to the training record.
Does the exam have to be written?
No. The regulation makes measurement and evaluation mandatory and states that the exam can be held remotely, face to face or by a combination of the two; it does not require it to be written. An oral exam with an interpreter or a picture test can be used.
Can an employee who does not speak Turkish work without induction training?
No. Induction training is given to everyone, including apprentices and interns, before work starts, for at least 2 hours, face to face and hands-on. A language barrier is a reason to give this training with an interpreter, not to postpone it.
Induction, basic and refresher training in line with the 2026 regulation; on your premises, with examples from your own site and fully documented.
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.