In brief
Administrative fines under Law No. 6331 are calculated in three steps: the base amount of the breach is found, the Art. 26/3 increase is applied by number of employees and hazard class to fines imposed per workplace or per person, and the increase is not applied to fines multiplied by the number of employees (Art. 26/5). Items reapplied every month the breach continues make the total grow quickly. In this article you will find the calculation step by step for three workplaces with 8, 35 and 120 employees.
How is an OHS fine calculated? Four steps
When more than one deficiency is written in an inspection report, the employer's first question is "how much in total?" The answer cannot be read from a single table, because the fines in Art. 26 of Law No. 6331 on Occupational Health and Safety are imposed on different units and the increase rule does not apply to every unit in the same way. You can answer the question how is an OHS fine calculated in four steps:
- Find the base amount. The statutory amount for each breach is updated every year by the revaluation rate.
- Identify the unit. Is the fine per workplace, per person not appointed, per obligation not fulfilled, or per employee?
- Apply the increase. All fines except those per employee are increased by the rate in Art. 26/3 according to the workplace's number of employees and hazard class.
- Add the continuing months. For some breaches, the fine is reapplied for every month the breach continues.
The 2026 base amounts used in the examples are:
| Breach | 2026 base amount | Unit | Repeated monthly? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not carrying out a risk assessment (Art. 10/1) | 66,725 TL; 100,119 TL for each continuing month | Workplace | Yes |
| Not appointing a specialist or physician (Art. 6/1) | 111,263 TL | Person not appointed | Yes |
| Not appointing other health personnel | 55,597 TL | Workplace | Yes |
| Emergency obligations (Arts. 11–12) | 22,194 TL | Obligation | Yes |
| Not having measurements and inspections carried out (Art. 10/4) | 33,326 TL | Workplace | No |
| Not establishing an OHS committee (Art. 22) | 44,443 TL | Breach | No |
| Not providing health surveillance (Art. 15) | 22,194 TL | Employee | No |
| Not providing training (Art. 17) | 8,980 TL | Employee | No |
| Not providing PPE | 8,980 TL | Employee | No |
Law No. 6331 Article 26 increase rates
The Art. 26 increase provision (Art. 26/3) increases fines according to the size and hazard class of the workplace. The rates are:
| Number of employees | Less hazardous | Hazardous | Very hazardous |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 10 | Same amount | 25% increase | 50% increase |
| 10–49 | Same amount | 50% increase | 100% increase |
| 50 or more | 50% increase | 100% increase | 200% increase |
The table shows why the fine increase by hazard class matters so much: in a very hazardous workplace with 50 or more employees, the fine for the same breach triples. Correctly determining your hazard class is therefore a precondition for calculating the fine correctly; to check it, see our article on how to find out your hazard class.
Per-employee OHS fines: why is the increase not applied?
For obligations such as training, health surveillance, information and PPE, the fine is imposed separately for each employee concerned. Art. 26/5 is clear: the increase in the third paragraph is not applied to administrative fines imposed by multiplying by the number of employees. The legislator has already taken the effect of size into account in these fines through the number of employees.
The most common mistake in per-employee OHS fine calculations is applying both rules together. For example, if PPE has not been provided to 40 employees, the fine is 40 × 8,980 = 359,200 TL. If the very hazardous class's 200% increase is also added, the amount wrongly rises to 1,077,600 TL.
The fine for not appointing a specialist or physician, however, is not per employee but per person not appointed. As this fine is not multiplied by the number of employees, it is subject to the increase.
Monthly continuing fines
For some breaches, the Law provides that if the breach is not remedied after it has been found, the fine is reapplied for every continuing month: not appointing a specialist or physician, not appointing other health personnel, not carrying out a risk assessment and emergency obligations. For the risk assessment there is a separate, higher amount for continuing months; for the others the amount is the same. As these amounts are also in Art. 26, they are subject to the increase.
The monthly continuing fine is the item that grows the total fastest. The practical consequence is this: if one of these items is in the report, start remedying the deficiency before deciding whether to object. Art. 26/4 also states that if work is stopped, the related administrative fine is not applied for the act that caused the stoppage.
Example 1: a machining workshop with 8 employees
Machining and welding work (NACE 25.53.01) is in the hazardous class. With fewer than 10 employees, the increase is 25% (factor 1.25). Suppose the inspection finds that no risk assessment has been carried out, none of the 8 employees has been trained and no emergency plan has been prepared.
| Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| No risk assessment | 66,725 × 1.25 | 83,406.25 TL |
| No training provided (no increase) | 8 × 8,980 | 71,840.00 TL |
| No emergency plan (1 obligation) | 22,194 × 1.25 | 27,742.50 TL |
| Total at first finding | 182,988.75 TL |
If the lack of a risk assessment and emergency plan continues, a further 100,119 × 1.25 = 125,148.75 TL and 27,742.50 TL, that is 152,891.25 TL per month, is added.
Example 2: a laser cutting business with 35 employees
Laser cutting of metals (25.53.03) is in the very hazardous class. In the 10–49 employee range the increase is 100% (factor 2). Suppose the inspection finds that no OHS specialist and no other health personnel have been appointed, and that 12 employees have not had their periodic examination. In a very hazardous workplace with 10 or more employees, appointing other health personnel is mandatory if there is no full-time workplace physician.
| Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Specialist not appointed (1 person) | 111,263 × 2 | 222,526 TL |
| Other health personnel not appointed | 55,597 × 2 | 111,194 TL |
| No health surveillance (no increase) | 12 × 22,194 | 266,328 TL |
| Total at first finding | 600,048 TL |
If the specialist and other health personnel are not appointed for another three months, 333,720 TL is added each month, 1,001,160 TL over three months, and the total reaches 1,601,208 TL. This example shows that monthly continuing fines can have heavier consequences than the first finding.
Example 3: a nickel plating plant with 120 employees
Nickel plating of metals (25.51.01) is in the very hazardous class. With 50 or more employees the increase is 200% (factor 3). Suppose the inspection finds that in this plant, where continuous work lasting more than six months is carried out, no OHS committee has been established, the workplace measurements required by the risk assessment have not been carried out, suitable PPE has not been provided to 40 employees in one department and no drill has been held in the last year.
| Item | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| No OHS committee | 44,443 × 3 | 133,329 TL |
| Measurements not carried out | 33,326 × 3 | 99,978 TL |
| PPE not provided (no increase) | 40 × 8,980 | 359,200 TL |
| No drill held (1 obligation) | 22,194 × 3 | 66,582 TL |
| Total at first finding | 659,089 TL |
If the drill obligation is not fulfilled, another 66,582 TL is added each month. We explained how to set up the committee in our article on how to establish an OHS committee.
These amounts are sample calculations; the exact amount is determined by the reasoned decision of the provincial directorate of the Turkish Employment Agency. Fines are paid within 30 days of notification; for the 25% discount for payment on time and the 15-day objection period, see our article on objecting to an OHS fine. Our articles on the labour inspector visit and the new year OHS checklist will guide your preparation for an inspection. To close gaps before an inspection, you can use our OHS specialist service.
Common calculation mistakes
When checking the amount in the report or calculating your own exposure, watch out for these mistakes:
- Also applying the Art. 26/3 increase to fines imposed per employee (training, health surveillance, information, PPE)
- Multiplying the fine for not appointing a specialist or physician by the number of employees
- Taking the hazard class from the old list; some activities changed class in the list renewed in 2025
- Using the wrong employee range for the increase (e.g. counting a workplace with 50 employees in the 10–49 range)
- Using the first-finding amount for continuing months of the risk assessment breach; there is a separate, higher amount for continuing months
- Calculating with the previous year's amounts
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the hazard class increase applied to the training fine?
No. The training fine is imposed per employee, and under Art. 26/5 the increase in Art. 26/3 is not applied to fines multiplied by the number of employees. For example, if 10 employees have not been trained, the fine is 10 × 8,980 = 89,800 TL whatever the class (2026 amount).
Is the fine for not appointing a specialist calculated by number of employees?
No. This fine is imposed for each person not appointed, and as it is not multiplied by the number of employees, it is increased according to hazard class and number of employees. The same amount is reapplied every month the breach continues.
For which breaches is the monthly continuing fine applied?
For not appointing a specialist or physician, not appointing other health personnel, not carrying out a risk assessment and breaching emergency obligations. For the risk assessment, there is a separate, higher amount for continuing months.
How is the discount for payment on time calculated?
Under Art. 17/6 of the Law on Misdemeanours, a 25% discount is given if the fine is paid within the payment period; for fines under Law No. 6331 this period is 30 days from notification. The total of 182,988.75 TL in Example 1 becomes 137,241.56 TL when paid on time. Payment does not remove the right to object.
Will fine amounts change in 2027?
Yes. Under Art. 17/7 of the Law on Misdemeanours, administrative fines are increased by the revaluation rate with effect from the start of each calendar year. The increase rates and the calculation method remain the same.
A certified specialist matched to your hazard class: site inspections, approved logbook, training plan, annual plan and report follow-up.
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.