In brief
When choosing an OSGB, first check the authorisation certificate and its renewal, the service region and whether the specialist class matches your hazard class. Then ask for the monthly minutes to be written into the contract, a written work plan and regular reporting; the risk of a cheap quote that does not meet the minimum time remains with you.
Why is choosing an OSGB your responsibility?
Art. 4 of Law No. 6331 is clear: outsourcing services does not remove the employer’s responsibility for occupational health and safety. The organisation providing the service is liable to you for its negligence (Art. 8/3); but in a work accident or an inspection, the first party held to account is the employer. That is why choosing an OSGB (joint health and safety unit) is less a purchasing decision than a risk management decision.
Because many OSGBs operate in Bursa, it is normal to see large differences between quotes. To make the comparison meaningful, give several OSGBs the same information: the NACE code and hazard class in your SGK registration, the number of employees, the shift pattern, the number of workplaces and the extra services you need. Quotes obtained with different information cannot be compared. The 10 criteria below let you weigh the quotes on the same scale. The first four relate to legal compliance and are not negotiable; the others show whether the service will actually work on site.
Legal compliance: the first four criteria
1. Authorisation certificate and renewal
OSGBs operate with an authorisation certificate from the Ministry, and this certificate is renewed every 5 years. The minimum staff for authorisation is at least one full-time workplace physician, one OHS specialist and one other health personnel. At the quotation stage, ask for a copy of the authorisation certificate and check the trade name, address and renewal date.
2. Service region: home and neighbouring provinces
An OSGB can provide services only in the province where it is located and in the provinces bordering it. For an OSGB in Bursa, these provinces are Yalova, Kocaeli, Sakarya, Bilecik, Kütahya and Balıkesir. If your workplace is in Bursa, the address on the authorisation certificate must be in Bursa or in one of these neighbouring provinces. Distance is not only a legal matter; how quickly the specialist can reach your workplace directly affects the visit pattern.
3. Specialist class matching your hazard class
An A-class specialist must be assigned in very hazardous workplaces, at least B in hazardous workplaces and at least C in less hazardous workplaces. If the quote does not state the specialist’s name and certificate class, be sure to ask. First verify your own class with our hazard class guide.
4. Monthly times meeting the minimum
There is a minimum time of 5/10/15 minutes per employee per month for the physician and 10/20/40 minutes for the specialist; in very hazardous workplaces with 10 or more employees, DSP time is also added. Check with the OHS obligation calculator that the minutes in the quote meet this total. Full-time thresholds and example calculations are in our article on working times.
Quality of service: plan, reporting and training
5. A written work plan
A good OSGB sets out in writing what it will do in the first months and throughout the year: reviewing the risk assessment, the training calendar, the health surveillance plan, periodic inspections of work equipment, the drill and the need for workplace environment measurements. Without a plan, visits gradually turn into “coming in and signing”. At the quotation stage, asking to see a sample plan prepared for a workplace similar to yours, with personal data removed, quickly gives you an idea of how the service will run.
6. Reporting and the approved logbook
Under the Law, the specialist and physician report the deficiencies and shortcomings they identify, together with measures and recommendations, to the employer in writing (Art. 8/2). In practice these notifications are written in the approved logbook (findings and recommendations logbook). After each visit, ask for a follow-up list showing what was identified and who will do what by which date. Written notification also protects you as the employer, because it documents the measures taken.
7. Training capacity
The new training regulation published in the Official Gazette on 2 April 2026 made induction training at least 2 hours long, face-to-face and practical; in hazardous and very hazardous workplaces, the topic of job-specific risks must also be delivered face to face. Ask the OSGB whether it can deliver training on site at times that suit your shifts. For details, see our article on the new OHS training regulation and our OHS training page.
Trust, confidentiality and the contract
8. Confidentiality and KVKK
Employees’ health information is kept confidential (Law No. 6331 Art. 15) and is a special category of personal data under Law No. 6698 on the Protection of Personal Data (KVKK). Ask the OSGB where and with whose access health files are stored, how digital records are protected and how files will be handed over when the contract ends. Only the fitness-for-work result, not examination details, should be shared with human resources.
9. Contract terms
The contract should state at least the following: the monthly minutes for each assigned person, the persons to be assigned and the specialist’s certificate class, the visit pattern, services included in and excluded from the price, how the time and fee will be updated when the headcount changes, notification when personnel change and the termination conditions. Also note that a specialist or physician who leaves must be replaced within 30 days.
10. Independence and accessibility
The Law requires the specialist and physician to carry out their duties with professional independence (Art. 8/1). A service that avoids writing an uncomfortable finding is comfortable in the short term and expensive in the long term. Also make clear from the outset whom you will contact, and through which channel, in the event of a work accident, an inspection or an urgent question; our article on what to do after a work accident offers a checklist for the post-accident steps.
Additional questions to ask for your sector
The ten criteria apply to every workplace; but given Bursa’s industrial structure, in some sectors you need to ask additional questions at the quotation meeting.
Automotive supply and metalworking: On press, welding, machining and coating lines, noise, welding fumes, chemicals and machine guarding are the main issues. Nickel plating of metals and laser cutting are in the very hazardous class in the 2025 list; a facility doing this work requires an A-class specialist and, with 10 or more employees, DSP. Ask the OSGB which authorised laboratories it will use to plan noise and chemical exposure measurements and how hearing tests will be monitored. Details: automotive supply industry.
Textiles: In weaving and finishing businesses, noise, dust, chemicals and hot surfaces stand out. Textile bleaching and dyeing were very hazardous in the 2012 list but were moved to the hazardous class in the 2025 list; check that the quote has been prepared for the current class. Details: textiles.
Furniture: Especially in workshops and factories in İnegöl, wood dust, fire load and cutting machines are important. Ask whether fire training and the drill can be carried out on site and in practice. Details: furniture.
Food: Slips and falls, cold environments, cutting equipment and hygiene rules are intertwined. In shift-based production, training and visits need to be planned to cover the night shift as well. Details: food.
Construction and building services: Site preparation and HVAC installation and maintenance are in the very hazardous class. Ask how the service will be followed up as the site location changes, and how work at height and scaffolding inspections will be planned. Details: construction.
The answers to these questions quickly show whether the OSGB knows your sector. Expect to hear a plan specific to your workplace rather than generic answers.
Red flags
If you see any of the following signs, question the quote again:
- The price is significantly below other quotes of the same scope and the quote does not state monthly minutes.
- For the specialist’s name and certificate class, you are told “we will let you know after the contract”.
- You are told “let’s start without waiting for ISG-KATİP approval” or “there is no need for visits, we will fill in the logbook”.
- The authorisation certificate or renewal information is not shared.
- You are told all training will be delivered remotely. However, induction training must be delivered face to face in every class, and the topic of job-specific risks in hazardous and very hazardous workplaces.
- It is unclear which authorised laboratories and healthcare facilities will carry out workplace environment measurements and tests.
What these signs have in common is that the legal obligation is met on paper but not on site. Such a service may cause no problems in the first months; but when you cannot show which measure was taken and when in an inspection, an employee complaint or after a work accident, the full consequence of the shortfall falls on the employer.
Quote comparison table
Use this table when putting quotes side by side. If you cannot say “yes” for a row, ask for the missing information in writing.
| Criterion | What to look at | Evidence to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Authorisation | Valid authorisation certificate and renewal date | Copy of the authorisation certificate |
| Region | Bursa or a neighbouring province | Address on the certificate |
| Specialist class | A / at least B / at least C | Specialist’s name and certificate class |
| Time | Physician, specialist and, if required, DSP minutes | Monthly minutes in the contract |
| Plan | Work list for the first months and the year | Written work plan |
| Reporting | Written findings and follow-up | Sample visit report |
| Training | Ability to deliver on site and face to face | Proposed training calendar |
| Confidentiality | Storage of health files | Written confidentiality undertaking |
| Contract | Scope, updates, termination | Draft contract |
| Access | Contact in an emergency | Responsible person and contact channel |
You can use the same table when getting a quote from Bursa Sistemer OSGB. Our head office is in Nilüfer; as a Ministry-authorised OSGB we serve Bursa and Yalova, Kocaeli, Sakarya, Bilecik, Kütahya and Balıkesir. Simply enter your details in the quote form.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know whether an OSGB is authorised?
Ask for a copy of the authorisation certificate and check the trade name, address and renewal date on it. The authorisation certificate is renewed every 5 years. Also make sure the trade name of the organisation giving the quote is the same as the one on the certificate.
Can an OSGB in Istanbul serve my workplace in Bursa?
An OSGB’s service area is limited to the province where it is located and the provinces bordering it; Istanbul does not border Bursa. For your workplace in Bursa, you need to work with an OSGB whose authorisation certificate address is in Bursa, Yalova, Kocaeli, Sakarya, Bilecik, Kütahya or Balıkesir.
Why is choosing the cheapest quote risky?
The main driver of the fee is the statutory minutes. A quote with a significantly lower price usually means fewer minutes, less frequent visits or services left out of scope. When the shortfall in time comes to light, the fine and responsibility remain with the employer.
I am not happy with my current OSGB; is it hard to change?
It is not hard, but the sequence matters. If the old service ends before the new contract is approved on ISG-KATİP (the Ministry’s online OHS registration system), your workplace is left without assigned personnel. For the steps and document handover, see our OSGB change guide.
A physician assigned for the time your hazard class requires: pre-employment and periodic examinations, fitness-for-work reports and health surveillance.
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.