In brief
Outerwear manufacturing is in the less hazardous class in the 2025 NACE list; this means obligations are less frequent, not that the risks are insignificant. Needle injuries on sewing machines, knife injuries in cutting, steam burns at ironing, musculoskeletal complaints from hours in the same posture and the fire load created by fabric and fibre dust are the real risks of the workshop. These risks are controlled not by major investment but by machine guards, regular cleaning, adjustable seating and fixed electrical installations.
What does the garment hazard class say, and what does it not say?
In the list of hazard classes completely renewed with NACE Rev.2.1 on 13 March 2025, outerwear manufacturing under code 14.21.01, that is, garment making, is in the less hazardous class. When garment workshop safety is discussed, this is often read as "we have no serious risk"; yet the class determines the frequency of obligations, not the hazards on site.
The class is determined by the main activity carried out in the workplace; if there is more than one main activity under the same roof, the higher class applies. For example, if fabric dyeing or bleaching (13.30.01, hazardous) is carried out in the workshop alongside sewing, check your class again. For details, see our hazard class guide.
The main obligations of a less hazardous garment workshop:
| Obligation | Less hazardous garment workshop |
|---|---|
| OHS specialist | At least a class C certificate; at least 10 minutes per employee per month |
| Workplace physician | At least 5 minutes per employee per month |
| Risk assessment | At least every 6 years and on significant changes |
| Basic OHS training | At least 8 teaching hours; refresher of at least 8 hours every 3 years |
| Periodic examination | At least every 5 years; at least every 6 months for young and pregnant employees |
| First aider | 1 for every 20 employees |
| Employer carrying out the service | Possible with fewer than 50 employees if the Ministry training is completed; excluding medical examinations |
For all headings, see our article on less hazardous workplace obligations, and you can see the times for your headcount in the OHS obligations calculator.
Sewing machine needle injuries and hand injuries
On lockstitch, overlock, coverstitch and buttonhole-button machines, the most common injury is a needle puncture to the finger. It mostly happens while guiding fabric too close to the needle, at a fast line pace, or while threading with the machine running. If the needle breaks, a fragment can also fly into the eye.
The measures are simple but need constant checking:
- Finger (needle) guard: The guard on the machine must not be removed and must be kept adjusted to the fabric thickness. An operator who removes the guard for speed should be treated as a separate finding in the risk assessment.
- Eye shield: The transparent shield in front of the needle area protects against broken needle fragments; it is especially important when sewing thick fabric and denim.
- Belt and pulley guard: The motor belt must be enclosed; hair, scarves or loose clothing can be caught in an open belt.
- No intervention without stopping: Threading, needle changes and bobbin changes are done with the motor stopped and the pedal disabled. The quiet running of servo-motor machines does not mean the machine has stopped.
- Overlock knife: The machine is not operated with the knife cover open.
- Button, snap and rivet presses: Parts are fed with a holding device so that the hand does not go under the die. For the logic of press guarding, see our article on press safety.
A needle injury may look like a small wound, but a broken needle fragment can remain in the tissue. After first aid, have the employee seen by the physician and record the incident: Art. 14 of Law No. 6331 requires all workplace accidents to be recorded.
Cutting and ironing sections
Cutting: Straight-knife and band-knife machines used for cutting fabric lays carry the workshop's highest injury potential. The blade guard must be adjusted to the height of the lay being cut, a steel mesh glove must be used for the hand holding the fabric, and only trained people may operate the machine. For hand cutting, scissors must be kept sharp; blunt scissors mean more force and more strain on the wrist.
Ironing: Steam irons and ironing presses carry burn, electrical and pressurised steam risks. The iron cable should be fed from above so that it is not pulled or crushed, and the place where the hot iron is set down must be fixed and non-combustible. If there is a steam boiler or compressor tank supplying the ironing section, it is subject to periodic inspection as a pressure vessel at least once a year; for details, see our article on pressure vessels and compressor tanks.
Garment industry ergonomics: the most common but least visible risk
A sewing operator works throughout the shift in the same seated position, head bent forward, with hands making fast repetitive movements. Neck, back, shoulder and wrist complaints are therefore the most common health problems in garment making. Garment industry ergonomics measures are mostly inexpensive:
- Adjustable chair: It must be height-adjustable with back support; the feet must reach the pedal without stretching.
- Table and machine height: Short and tall operators should not work at the same table height; if necessary, the table is raised or lowered.
- Pedal position: When using the pedal, the leg should not stretch and the trunk should not twist.
- Local lighting: A machine lamp directed at the needle area reduces the need to lean forward.
- Standing work: In ironing, quality control and packing, anti-fatigue mats and the opportunity to sit occasionally should be provided.
- Rotation and short breaks: For employees doing the same operation throughout the shift, changes of operation and short stretching breaks should be planned.
By monitoring musculoskeletal complaints in periodic examinations, the workplace physician can show which operation is causing problems; this information must feed back into the risk assessment.
Garment workshop fire risk: fabric, fibre dust and electricity
In a garment workshop, combustible load is everywhere: fabric rolls, cutting waste, cardboard, boxes of finished goods. Added to these is fibre dust that builds up under machines, on top of lamps and around distribution boards. In garment workshop fire incidents, the ignition source is usually electrical: extension cables supplying many machines, overheating sockets, irons left switched on.
Points to check:
- Circuits supplying machine lines must be fixed installations; extension cables and chains of multi-socket adaptors are not a permanent solution. For the presence and testing of residual current protection, see our article on earthing and residual current devices.
- Fibre dust must be cleaned from machines, lamps and around distribution boards at the end of the shift; sweeping or vacuum cleaning should be preferred over blowing the dust into the air with compressed air.
- Cutting waste and cardboard must be removed from the workshop at the end of the day.
- Stacks of fabric and products must not narrow stairs, doorways or escape routes.
- Irons must be unplugged at the end of the working day.
In workshops set up in multi-storey buildings in the city, the layout of escape routes and stairs is especially important. You can adapt our fire prevention checklist for a weekly walk-round.
Risk assessment table for garment workshop safety
The table below summarises the rows that must be included in a garment workshop's risk assessment:
| Section | Hazard | Priority measure |
|---|---|---|
| Sewing | Needle puncture, broken needle fragment | Finger guard and eye shield; instruction not to intervene without stopping |
| Sewing | Entanglement in belt and pulley | Enclosed belt guard; tied-back hair, close-fitting sleeves |
| Cutting | Knife cuts | Adjusted blade guard, steel mesh glove, trained users only |
| Ironing | Steam burns, electricity | Fixed, non-combustible ironing station, overhead supply, cable checks |
| All sections | Musculoskeletal disorders | Adjustable chairs, local lighting, rotation and breaks |
| All sections | Fire | Fixed electrical installation, fibre dust cleaning, clear escape routes |
| Stain removal | Solvent vapour | Small, closed containers, ventilation, use in line with the safety data sheet |
| All sections | Young employees | Restricting the work they may do, examination at least every 6 months |
For workshops employing young workers and interns, our article on child and young workers explains the additional rules. For spinning and weaving businesses with heavier machinery and noise risks, see our article on OHS in weaving mills.
We plan our risk assessment and OHS specialist services for garment workshops according to the workshop's machinery, floor layout and shift structure. You can find our approach to textile and ready-to-wear businesses in Bursa on our textile sector page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hazard class is a garment workshop in?
In the 2025 NACE list, outerwear manufacturing under code 14.21.01 is in the less hazardous class. However, the class is determined by the main activity; if a main activity in the hazardous class, such as dyeing or bleaching, is also carried out at the same workplace, the higher class applies.
Is an OHS specialist mandatory in a less hazardous garment workshop?
Yes. The less hazardous class must also obtain specialist and physician services. In workshops with fewer than 50 employees, the employer or its representative may carry out the service themselves, excluding pre-employment and periodic examinations, if they complete the Ministry training.
What is the most effective way to prevent needle injuries on sewing machines?
Keeping the finger guard in place and adjusted, doing threading and needle changes with the motor stopped, and preventing guards from being removed because of speed pressure. An eye shield also protects against broken needle fragments.
How often are periodic examinations carried out in garment making?
In the less hazardous class, at least every 5 years; for child, young and pregnant employees, at least every 6 months. The workplace physician may shorten this interval according to the risk assessment and the employee's state of health.
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.