In brief
Before your first worker starts, verify the NACE code and hazard class in your SGK registration, have the specialist and physician appointments approved in ISG-KATIP, obtain the pre-employment fitness report for hazardous and very hazardous work, and deliver induction training of at least 2 hours. The risk assessment, emergency plan and appointment of first aiders are also tasks for the first weeks.
OHS when opening a new workplace: when do the obligations start?
The question we hear most often about OHS when opening a new workplace is when the obligations begin. The answer: with the first worker. Law No. 6331 on Occupational Health and Safety applies to all workers, including apprentices and interns; it excludes only those producing goods or services in their own name and on their own account without employing anyone (Art. 2). So while you work alone you have no obligations, but on the day you hire your first worker the whole framework applies.
The order matters when preparing OHS for the first worker, because some steps must be completed before the worker starts. In hazardous and very hazardous work, nobody can start without a fitness-for-work report; induction training is given before starting work; and services cannot begin until the specialist and physician appointments are approved in ISG-KATIP (the Ministry's online OHS registration system). This article sets out these steps in order for employers setting up a new company or opening a new branch in Bursa and the surrounding provinces. To see in detail which workplaces are covered, see our article on which workplaces OHS is mandatory for.
Step 1: SGK registration and NACE code
Workplace registration is also the starting point for OHS. Under Art. 11 of Law No. 5510, the employer submits the workplace notification to the Social Security Institution (SGK) no later than the date on which it starts employing insured persons. If the company's incorporation has been notified to the trade registry office, this counts as notification to SGK. Under Art. 8, the insured person's start-of-employment notification is, as a rule, submitted before insurance begins; for workplaces submitting a workplace notification for the first time, those who start within one month of the date the first insured person was employed are given until the end of that one-month period.
The activity code determined at this stage is the input for every calculation in OHS. The hazard class is determined by the 6-digit NACE code of the main activity carried out at the workplace, and the list was completely renewed in 2025 with NACE Rev.2.1. Check that the code chosen by your accountant actually describes the work you do. For example, machining and welding (25.53.01) is hazardous, while laser cutting of metals (25.53.03) is very hazardous; adding a laser cutting machine to your workshop can change your class. For the steps, see our hazard class guide.
Step 2: Service model and ISG-KATIP approval
Once the hazard class is known, you move on to appointing a specialist and a physician. There are three options: buying services from an OSGB (joint health and safety unit), employing your own specialist and physician, or, if you are a less hazardous workplace with fewer than 50 workers, completing the Ministry's training and providing the service yourself. In the very hazardous class with 10 or more workers, other health personnel (DSP) are also appointed.
The ISG-KATIP step cannot be skipped when opening a workplace. If the new company will work with an OSGB, the contract is drawn up in line with the template in ISG-KATIP and approved in the system by both parties within 5 days at the latest. Duties cannot begin under an unapproved appointment, so plan the contract process backwards from the first worker's start date. For the approval steps see our article on ISG-KATIP contract approval, and for general use of the system see our article on what ISG-KATIP is.
The specialist's certificate class must match your hazard class: A in very hazardous, at least B in hazardous, at least C in less hazardous. The monthly minimum time per worker is 10/20/40 minutes for the specialist and 5/10/15 minutes for the physician. You can see your own figures with the OHS obligation calculator.
Step 3: Pre-employment examination and the first hire's health report
Under Art. 15 of the Law, workers undergo a health examination when they start, and in hazardous and very hazardous work they cannot start without a fitness-for-work report. Reports are obtained from the workplace physician; less hazardous workplaces with fewer than 50 workers can also obtain the report from ÇASMER (the state occupational health centres), family physicians or other public healthcare providers. The cost of the examination cannot be passed on to the worker, and health information is kept confidential.
During the examination, the pre-employment/periodic examination form (Annex 2) is completed. The workplace physician decides which tests are required according to the risks of the job; we plan tests with authorised laboratories and healthcare providers. For details, see our article on where to get a pre-employment health report.
Step 4: Induction training and the vocational training certificate
Under the training regulation published in the Official Gazette on 2 April 2026, everyone, including apprentices and interns, receives face-to-face, hands-on induction training of at least 2 hours before starting work, documented with a signed record. This training does not count towards basic training hours. Basic training is completed within 3 months at the latest of starting work, as 8 lesson hours in less hazardous, 12 in hazardous and 16 in very hazardous workplaces. For a sample programme, see our article on the induction training programme.
For certain jobs in the hazardous and very hazardous classes, a vocational training certificate is mandatory; nobody without the certificate may be employed in these jobs. Before hiring a candidate, check whether the job they will do is on the list and ask for their certificate. For details, see our article on the list of occupations requiring vocational training.
Step 5: Risk assessment, emergency plan and equipment
The workplace's written documents should also be in place with the first worker:
- Risk assessment: The employer must carry it out or have it carried out. The renewal period is at most 2 years in very hazardous, 4 in hazardous and 6 in less hazardous workplaces; it is renewed without waiting for the period to expire after a move, new equipment or a change in the production method.
- Emergency plan and teams: Firefighting, rescue, protection and first aid teams are set up. In a workplace with fewer than 10 workers, one specially trained support person with suitable equipment for firefighting, rescue and protection is sufficient. A drill is held at least once a year.
- First aider: One first aider is needed for every 20 workers in less hazardous, every 15 in hazardous and every 10 in very hazardous workplaces; the certificate is valid for 3 years.
- Employee representative: In workplaces with between two and fifty workers, one employee representative is appointed (Art. 20).
- Work equipment: For equipment whose safety depends on its installation and assembly conditions, the periodic inspection is carried out after installation and before first use; for fixed equipment, it is repeated each time it is moved. A fixed press or industrial racking system brought from your old premises and reinstalled is also covered. For the intervals, see our article on periodic inspection intervals.
As your workplace grows, new thresholds come into play: in workplaces with 50 or more workers where continuous work lasting more than six months is carried out, an OHS committee is set up (Art. 22).
Timeline in order: before and after the first worker
| When | Step | Legal basis | Document |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before opening | Verifying the NACE code and hazard class | Communiqué on Hazard Classes Art. 2 | SGK registration record |
| At least one week before the first worker | Specialist, physician (DSP if required) contract and ISG-KATIP approval | Regulation on OHS Services Art. 14 | Approved contract |
| Before starting work | Pre-employment examination; fitness-for-work report in hazardous and very hazardous work | Law 6331 Art. 15 | Annex 2 form, report |
| Before starting work | Induction training (at least 2 hours) | Training Regulation Art. 7 | Signed record |
| Before starting work | Checking the vocational training certificate (for jobs that require it) | Law 6331 Art. 17/3 | Copy of certificate |
| First weeks | Risk assessment, emergency plan, teams, first aider | Law 6331 Arts. 10–11 | Signed documents, team list |
| Within the first 3 months | Completion of basic training | Training Regulation Arts. 8, 13 | Attendance list, exam result |
| Within the first year | Drill and annual work plan | Emergencies Regulation Art. 13; OHS Specialists Regulation Art. 9 | Drill form, annual plan |
"At least one week before" is not a period set in the legislation but our recommendation so that you can comfortably complete the 5-day approval period.
Common mistakes
- Starting work first and signing the contract later: Until approval is complete, the workplace appears in the system without appointed personnel.
- Leaving the examination until the end of the probation period: In hazardous and very hazardous work, the report is a precondition for starting work.
- Forgetting interns and apprentices: Induction training is mandatory for them too.
- Never checking the code: If the code chosen at incorporation does not reflect the main activity, all the time and training calculations will be wrong.
- Not updating documents after fitting out: When the workplace moves or its layout changes, the risk assessment and emergency plan are renewed without waiting for the period to expire. Review documents prepared before opening once the machines are in place.
- Keeping documents scattered: If the contract, training records, examination forms and periodic inspection reports are not gathered in a single file from day one, they will look incomplete at the first inspection. For the contents of the file, see our article on the OHS file.
Bursa Sistemer provides OHS specialist and workplace physician services to newly opened workplaces in Bursa and neighbouring provinces. To see all the dates in one place, you can use the OHS calendar tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
My first worker starts tomorrow; what happens if the OSGB contract is not ready in time?
Services cannot begin under an unapproved appointment, and during that time your workplace counts as having no appointed personnel. Plan the start date around the date the contract will be approved in ISG-KATIP; in hazardous and very hazardous work, the pre-employment report must also be ready.
Should a new company work with an OSGB or provide the service itself?
Providing the service yourself is only possible for less hazardous workplaces with fewer than 50 workers and requires completing the Ministry's training. Even then, pre-employment and periodic examinations are outside its scope. All other workplaces buy services from an OSGB or appoint their own specialist and physician.
Should the worker bring the pre-employment report themselves?
The cost of the report cannot be passed on to the worker. The report is obtained from the workplace physician; in less hazardous workplaces with fewer than 50 workers it can also be obtained from ÇASMER, a family physician or other public healthcare providers.
Is an emergency plan required even in a workplace with one worker?
Yes. The emergency plan obligation does not depend on the number of workers; only the scope of the plan and the size of the teams change.
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.