In brief
January is the month the OHS calendar resets. Last year's annual evaluation report is closed, the new year's work plan is approved, and the dates of training, examinations, periodic inspections, first aid certificates, drills and risk assessments falling due during the year are brought into a single calendar. In 2027 three new items are added: the inspection body requirement for four equipment types, the new year's fine amounts and the updated hazard class list.
Why is the annual OHS checklist done in January?
Most OHS obligations run on periods tied to a start date: training, examinations, periodic inspections, first aid certificates. Because these dates are spread across the year, one is bound to be missed if they are tracked one by one. The annual OHS checklist is a way of gathering these scattered dates once at the start of the year and turning them into the new year's calendar.
January is the right time for two reasons. First, last year's records are complete and this is when the annual evaluation report can be written. Second, the new year's work plan is fed by this report; before the plan is approved, the answer to "what needs renewing this year?" should be ready. The steps below follow the order we work through in the first weeks of January at workplaces in Bursa and the surrounding provinces.
1. Close last year: submitting the annual evaluation report
The OHS specialist prepares the annual evaluation report, recording OHS work relating to the working environment and the results of workplace monitoring, in cooperation with the workplace physician and in line with the template in Annex 2 of the regulation (OHS Specialists Regulation Art. 9). The workplace physician also prepares a report covering OHS work and the results of health surveillance in line with the template in Annex 3 (Regulation on Workplace Physicians and DSP Art. 9).
The legislation does not set a specific date for submitting the annual evaluation report. However, since the new year's plan is built on the open items in this report, it is practical to complete the report in the first weeks of January. On submission, check the following:
- Have the specialist's and physician's reports been signed and presented to the employer?
- Does the report list the activities that could not be carried out, with reasons?
- If you buy services from an OSGB, are copies of the reports also kept in the OSGB's archive? (Regulation on OHS Services Art. 13/2)
2. Renewing the annual plan: approval and the approved logbook
The annual work plan covers the following year's activities; the specialist and physician prepare it together and the employer approves it. The draft prepared in December is finalised with the open items from last year's report, then approved in January and entered in the approved logbook. Renewing the annual plan does not mean changing the date on last year's plan and signing it again: each item is written in after checking against the date table below whether it falls in this year. For the structure of the plan and a sample table, see our article on how to prepare an annual work plan.
3. Table of OHS renewal dates
For each row, write the date it was last done, add the period and mark those falling in the new year. You can find the legal basis for the periods together in our article on the employer's OHS obligations.
| Item | Renewal period | Task in January |
|---|---|---|
| Refresher training | Every year in very hazardous, every 2 years in hazardous, every 3 years in less hazardous; at least 8 hours in every class | List the workers whose training expires this year and divide them into training groups |
| Periodic examination | Every year in very hazardous, at least every 3 years in hazardous, at least every 5 years in less hazardous; at least every 6 months for child, young and pregnant workers | Spread examinations across the months and plan tests with authorised healthcare providers |
| First aider certificate | Valid for 3 years; refresher training within the 3 months before expiry | Check expiry dates and whether the number of first aiders is sufficient |
| Periodic inspection of work equipment | At most 1 year for most equipment unless the standard or manufacturer sets a shorter period; 6 months for construction scaffolding | Draw up an inspection calendar from the last report dates |
| Risk assessment | At most every 2 years in very hazardous, 4 in hazardous, 6 in less hazardous; regardless of the period when changes occur | If it falls in the renewal year, set the team and the date |
| Emergency plan | Same periods as the risk assessment | Update team lists and contact details |
| Drill | At least once a year | Set a date and choose the scenario |
| Workplace measurements | At the interval set by the risk assessment | Plan measurements with an authorised laboratory |
Example: Consider a hazardous-class workplace with 60 workers. The training of 25 workers whose last refresher was in March 2025 falls due in March 2027. If the risk assessment was renewed in October 2023, the next renewal is due by October 2027 at the latest. The refresher training of two first aiders whose certificates expire in February 2027 must be taken between November 2026 and February 2027. The last row shows why the January check matters: by January the refresher window will already be open and about to close.
Instead of calculating dates by hand, you can use the OHS calendar tool. To turn the training row into a detailed plan see our article on the annual OHS training plan, and for first aid certificates see our article on the first aid certificate.
4. What is changing in 2027?
You need to add three items to the 2027 list:
The equipment inspection body requirement is expanding. With Annex III of the Work Equipment Regulation renewed on 23 December 2025, in addition to tower cranes, LPG tanks and installations, escalators and suspended access equipment, from 1 January 2027 the periodic inspection of lifting platforms for people with reduced mobility, steam boilers, cableway installations and mast climbing work platforms is also carried out by inspection bodies. If you have any of this equipment, plan the next inspection date with an inspection body now; for the transition rules, see our articles on periodic inspection intervals and steam boiler safety.
Fine amounts are updated. 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. Check the new year's amounts for OHS fines in the administrative fines tool.
Re-verify your hazard class. The hazard class list was completely renewed with NACE Rev.2.1 on 13 March 2025; the list was also amended on 21 May 2025 and 1 April 2026. If your class has changed, the necessary steps are taken within 90 days. For the method of checking, see our article on how to find your hazard class.
5. Number of workers and ISG-KATIP contracts
If your headcount changed at the end of the year, the monthly service time of the physician and specialist also changes. The time is calculated in minutes per worker: for the physician, 5 minutes in less hazardous, 10 in hazardous and 15 in very hazardous workplaces; for the specialist, 10, 20 and 40 minutes. For example, in a hazardous-class workplace growing from 40 to 55 workers, the specialist's monthly time rises from 800 to 1,100 minutes. Check your contracts with this in mind:
- Are the headcount and times written in the contracts in ISG-KATIP (the Ministry's online OHS registration system) up to date?
- If you are a very hazardous workplace that has reached 10 or more workers, have other health personnel been appointed?
- If you have reached 50 workers, have you assessed the OHS committee obligation?
- Are the numbers of first aiders and support staff sufficient for the new headcount?
You can do the calculation with the OHS obligation calculator, and for the steps to update contracts see our article on ISG-KATIP when the number of workers changes.
January OHS tasks: a 12-point checklist
Print the list and tick it off as you go:
- The specialist's and physician's annual evaluation reports have been completed and presented to the employer.
- Activities that could not be carried out according to the report have been carried over to the new year's plan.
- The new year's work plan has been approved and entered in the approved logbook.
- The list of workers due for refresher training this year has been drawn up.
- Workers whose periodic examination falls this year and workers requiring 6-monthly follow-up have been identified.
- Expiry dates of first aid certificates and refresher training dates have been entered in the calendar.
- The periodic inspection calendar has been drawn up; equipment requiring an inspection body has been marked separately.
- The renewal year of the risk assessment and emergency plan has been checked.
- The drill date and scenario have been set.
- Workplace measurements have been planned with an authorised laboratory.
- The headcount and times in the ISG-KATIP contracts have been checked.
- The NACE code and hazard class have been compared with the current list.
For the specific risks of the winter months, our article on workplace safety in the winter months can also be added to your list. In our OHS specialist service, we carry out this check every January together with your workplace's records and link the result to the new year's plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who prepares the annual OHS checklist?
There is no document by this name in the legislation; the items on the list come from the duties of the specialist and the physician. In practice, the OHS specialist gathers the dates, the workplace physician completes the health surveillance rows, and the result is entered in the annual work plan.
When is the annual evaluation report submitted?
The legislation does not set a specific submission date. The report is prepared after the year has closed, and because it is an input to the new year's plan, it is recommended to complete it in the first weeks of January.
When should a first aid certificate be renewed?
A first aider certificate is valid for 3 years, and the refresher training is taken within the 3 months before it expires. So for certificates expiring in the first months of the year, plan the refresher training immediately.
How is the renewal date of the risk assessment calculated?
A period based on the hazard class is added to the last renewal date: at most 2 years in very hazardous, 4 in hazardous and 6 in less hazardous workplaces. However, it is renewed without waiting for the period to expire after changes such as a move, new machinery or technology, a work accident, an occupational disease or a near miss.
What changes in periodic inspection in 2027?
From 1 January 2027, the periodic inspection of lifting platforms for people with reduced mobility, steam boilers, cableway installations and mast climbing work platforms is also carried out by equipment inspection bodies. For other equipment, inspection by authorised persons registered in EKIPNET continues.
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.