In brief
The 2026 training regulation requires induction training to be delivered hands-on and face to face, and basic training to be capable of changing knowledge, attitudes and behaviour. The way to achieve this is show-and-do instead of presentations, case studies based on real incidents and small-group drills. The effect of training should also be measured by on-site observation, not by an exam.
Where does hands-on OHS training appear in the regulation?
Picture thirty employees sitting in a canteen in front of a projector screen. For forty slides, the trainer talks about "the importance of personal protective equipment", and at the end everyone signs the attendance record. The next day, half of the same employees are working at the grinding machine with their goggles on their foreheads. This picture sums up why the need for hands-on OHS training arises.
The Regulation on the Procedures and Principles of Occupational Health and Safety Training for Employees, which entered into force on 2 April 2026, explicitly requires practice in several places:
| Provision | What the regulation requires | Effect on training |
|---|---|---|
| Art. 5/3 | Training capable of creating changes in knowledge, attitudes and behaviour | Passing on information alone is not enough |
| Art. 7/3 and 7/5 | Induction training hands-on and face to face, at least 2 hours | On-site demonstration on the first day |
| Art. 9/2 | Content is prepared using elements of the work and working environment in the area where employees work | Your own machine and your own area instead of generic slides |
| Art. 12/3 | Job- and workplace-specific risks face to face in hazardous and very hazardous workplaces | The part that cannot be delivered remotely is the part best suited to practice |
| Art. 15 | A venue that allows practical exercises | A hall where no practice can be done is not sufficient |
| Art. 16 | Pre-training level assessment, exam and effectiveness evaluation | Whether the training works is measured |
We explained the general framework of the regulation in our article on the new OHS training regulation, and a minute-by-minute programme for the first day in our article on the induction training programme. This article focuses on the three OHS training methods that give the best results on site, with sample sessions.
The show-and-do technique and the job breakdown sheet
The show-and-do technique is a four-step method rooted in the "job instruction" programmes developed in industry during the Second World War: prepare, show, let them do it, follow up. It looks simple; what makes the difference is the job breakdown sheet prepared before the demonstration.
The trainer first breaks the job to be taught into steps on paper. For each step, they write the key point for doing that step safely and the reason for it. Example: changing a disc on a grinder:
| Step | Key point | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Unplug the machine | Pull the plug where you can see it | A machine thought to be switched off can start |
| Check the disc | Check the speed limit and expiry date, look for cracks | An unsuitable disc shatters while spinning |
| Fit the disc | Flanges the right way round, tighten with the spanner | A loose disc slips and breaks |
| Adjust the guard | At an angle where sparks and fragments do not come towards the user | The guard determines the direction of a breaking disc |
| Test run | Run it unloaded without pointing the disc at anyone | A defective disc breaks in the first few seconds |
The four steps are applied as follows:
- Prepare: Put the employee at ease, ask whether they have done this job before and position them where they can best see the work.
- Show: Do the job once at normal speed. Then repeat it slowly, saying each step; emphasise the key points the second time and the reasons the third time.
- Let them do it: While the employee does the job, they say the steps out loud. If there is a mistake, stop and correct it immediately. Repeat until the employee can explain the key points and reasons in their own words.
- Follow up: Let the employee do the job, but tell them whom to ask questions. Check frequently in the first days, then less often.
Explaining the reasons is the most frequently skipped part of the technique. An employee who knows the reason can make the right decision when faced with a situation not written in the instruction.
Sample session: case study
A case study is a method of having small groups examine a real incident. The best material is your workplace's own near miss and accident records; because employees know where the incident took place, the discussion immediately becomes concrete. Personal details are removed and nobody is blamed.
A sample one-hour session can be set up as follows, under the job- and workplace-specific risks topic:
- Telling the story (10 minutes): "On the night shift, an operator opened the press guard to remove a jammed part and..." Photographs and a sketch are shown.
- Group work (20 minutes): Groups of four or five answer three questions: What happened? Why did it happen? What should change?
- Sharing (15 minutes): Each group states its findings; the trainer collects the answers on the board under the headings "person", "machine", "method" and "environment".
- On-site demonstration (15 minutes): The group goes to the machine where the incident happened; the measure taken and the correct method of intervention are shown there and several employees are asked to carry it out.
A case study moves employees from the question "who made the mistake" to the question "why did the system allow this". For the method behind this view, see our article on root cause analysis methods.
Sample session: small-group drill
What to do in emergencies is learned with the hands, not with slides. Unlike a full-scale evacuation drill, a small-group drill is carried out with a few people in a short time to practise a specific skill.
- Using a fire extinguisher: Each participant pulls the extinguisher's pin, aims the hose and uses it themselves on a suitable training rig. For hands-on fire training, see our fire training service.
- Chemical spill: Taking the spill kit from the cabinet, putting on personal protective equipment and containing the spill with absorbent material are simulated with water.
- Emergency stop and energy isolation: Each employee shows the emergency stop buttons and main switch on their own line.
- Tabletop scenario: A scenario of an employee losing consciousness in a confined space; whom the standby person will call and why they must not go in are discussed.
At the end of each drill, hold a two-minute review: what went well, and what went wrong? For planning a full-scale drill, see our article on how to run an emergency drill.
Measuring effectiveness: an exam is not enough
The regulation requires an exam at the end of basic training, with a pass mark of at least 60 out of 100, and also requires the employer to evaluate the effectiveness of the training (Art. 16). An exam measures knowledge; to measure behaviour, you need to look at the site.
Use a short observation form for hands-on sessions. The form lists the key points from the job breakdown sheet item by item; a few days and a few weeks after the training, the trainer or section supervisor watches the employee at work and marks each item as "correct / corrected / not done". The results feed into updating the training programme; the regulation also provides for the programme or trainer to be changed or the training repeated depending on the evaluation result.
On the records side, induction training is recorded in minutes signed by the trainer, the employee and the employer or their representative, and kept in the personnel file (Art. 7/6). For basic training, attendance records and a certificate conforming to the sample in Annex 2 are issued (Art. 17).
Common mistakes
- Reducing practice to a "site tour"; not having the employee do anything themselves.
- Leaving the demonstration to someone who has done the job for years but cannot explain the reasons.
- Naming the employee involved in the incident in a case study and turning the discussion into blame.
- Using the same slide set for all departments; not including the elements of the working environment required by Art. 9/2 in the content.
- Evaluating effectiveness only by the exam score.
In our OHS training service, we prepare the job- and workplace-specific risks topic hands-on, on site, with your machines and your own incident records. You can plan your annual training dates with the OHS calendar tool, and use our article on the toolbox talk for short reminders at work. For businesses in Bursa and the surrounding provinces, we plan these sessions by dividing them into parts according to the shift pattern.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does hands-on induction training count towards basic training hours?
No. Under the regulation, the time spent in induction training does not count towards basic training hours (Art. 7/5). The job-specific risks section of basic training, however, can also be delivered hands-on.
Who can deliver induction training?
The employer, the OHS specialist and workplace physician assigned to the workplace, or knowledgeable and experienced employees appointed by the employer can deliver it (Art. 7/4). The experienced employee who will give the demonstration needs to be prepared so that they can explain the key points and their reasons.
Can interactive OHS training be delivered remotely?
General, health and technical topics can be delivered remotely; the remote system is required to prevent fast-forwarding and to include short questions along the way (Art. 12/5). Job- and workplace-specific risks are delivered face to face in hazardous and very hazardous workplaces.
Which incidents should be used in a case study?
Give priority to your workplace's own near miss and accident records. If there are not enough records, examples compiled from similar work in the same sector, containing no personal details, can be used.
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.