In brief
Restaurants and cafés fall under Law No. 6331 whatever their number of workers; following the Constitutional Court ruling, the deferral for less hazardous workplaces with fewer than 50 workers no longer exists either. The operator must plan the appointment of a specialist and physician, training, health surveillance and the emergency plan according to the workplace’s hazard class. In the kitchen, LPG cylinders and oil fires, and in service, slips, burns and carrying are the most common risks.
Restaurant workplace safety: who is covered?
When it comes to restaurant workplace safety, the obligations of a café with two workers and a restaurant with a hundred differ in scale, but the headings are the same. Law No. 6331 on Occupational Health and Safety applies to all workplaces employing workers, regardless of their field of activity. The provision deferring the entry into force of Arts. 6 and 7 of the Law for less hazardous workplaces with fewer than 50 workers was annulled by the Constitutional Court ruling published in the Official Gazette on 9 December 2025. There is no longer any waiting period for small businesses either; for details, see our article on OHS in workplaces with fewer than 50 workers.
The first step in restaurant workplace safety is to verify the workplace’s hazard class from the NACE code in its SGK registration. The class determines the specialist and physician times, training hours, examination intervals and the number of first aiders. To find your code, see our article on how to find out your hazard class.
Specialist and physician: does a café need an OHS specialist?
Yes; the employer appoints an OHS specialist and a workplace physician (Art. 6). The service can be obtained from an OSGB (joint health and safety unit). The only exception is for less hazardous workplaces with fewer than 50 workers: if the employer or the employer’s representative completes the Ministry training, they can provide this service themselves. However, pre-employment and periodic examinations are outside this scope; these workplaces can obtain fitness-for-work reports from ÇASMER (occupational diseases hospitals), family doctors or other public health care providers as well as from the workplace physician (Art. 15/3).
The basic times according to your workplace’s class are:
| Obligation | Less hazardous | Hazardous |
|---|---|---|
| Specialist certificate | At least class C | At least class B |
| Specialist time (per worker/month) | 10 min | 20 min |
| Physician time (per worker/month) | 5 min | 10 min |
| Basic training | 8 hours | 12 hours |
| Training repeated | Every 3 years | Every 2 years |
| Periodic examination | At least every 5 years | At least every 3 years |
| Renewal of risk assessment and emergency plan | At least every 6 years | At least every 4 years |
| First aiders | 1 per 20 workers | 1 per 15 workers |
In less hazardous workplaces with fewer than 50 workers, the monthly times of the specialist and physician can be combined within the same contract year. You can see your own times with the OHS obligations calculator.
Training and health surveillance
Staff turnover in kitchens and service is high, so the training plan does not work on a “one group training session a year” basis. Under Art. 7 of the Regulation on the Procedures and Principles of Workers’ OHS Training, published in the Official Gazette on 2 April 2026, every new worker is given at least 2 hours of face-to-face, practical induction training before starting work, documented with a record. Basic training is completed within 3 months of starting work at the latest. Seasonal and part-time workers are also covered by this rule.
For a restaurant, the following topics form an adequate framework for induction training: knives and cutting tools, working with hot oil and steam, slippery floors, what to do in the event of an LPG or gas leak, the location and use of extinguishers, the escape route and the assembly point.
Hygiene training for staff working with food is a separate obligation and does not replace OHS training; see the hygiene training certificate. The workplace physician determines which tests the carrier screening examination includes and its frequency; see the carrier screening examination. We plan tests with authorised laboratories and health institutions.
Restaurant LPG cylinders and kitchen fires
The kitchen is where a restaurant’s fire risk is concentrated. The Regulation on the Fire Protection of Buildings sets clear rules for restaurant LPG cylinders and kitchens:
- In any building used as a workplace or open to the public, LPG cylinders may not be kept in full basement floors below ground level (Art. 109/6).
- LPG cylinders are kept upright; if a hose is needed between the cylinder and the appliance, a seamless hose complying with the standard and no longer than 150 cm is used, and connections are tightened with clamps (Art. 109/2).
- Cylinders are not exposed to direct sunlight or placed next to heaters; if they are to be kept indoors, the area is ventilated (Art. 109/3–4).
- In large industrial-type kitchens using LPG, a gas alarm device that detects gas leaks and gives an audible warning is mandatory (Art. 109/5).
- Gas leaks are checked with soapy foam, never with a flame; cylinders are changed by trained staff of the dealer (Art. 109/11).
- Kitchen hoods in shopping centres and high-rise buildings, and in kitchens serving more than 100 people at a time, must be fitted with an automatic extinguishing system and gas detection, gas shut-off and warning installations suited to the gas (Art. 57/1).
- If gas is used in a basement kitchen, ventilation is provided; gas may not be used without a second exit (Art. 57/2).
Under Annex III of the Work Equipment Regulation, hood extinguishing systems, together with fire extinguishing systems, are subject to periodic inspection at least once a year unless the standard specifies a shorter period.
Grease accumulating in hood filters and exhaust ducts plays a part in the spread of kitchen fires. Regular cleaning of filters and recording duct cleaning is a simple but effective measure. Practical training is needed for staff to be able to actually use an extinguisher; Bursa Sistemer provides theoretical and practical training in its fire training service.
Risks for waiting staff and the service area
The risks in the service area attract less attention than those in the kitchen, but a significant share of occupational accidents happen here. The main risks for waiting staff are:
- Slips and falls: Wet and greasy floors in the passage between the kitchen and the dining room, stairs and thresholds. Non-slip shoes, cleaning up spilled liquids immediately and a mat arrangement at the passage are needed. For details, see our article on preventing slips, trips and falls.
- Burns: Hot plates, tea urns, the steam wand of the coffee machine and carrying hot liquids.
- Cuts: Broken glasses and plates; broken pieces are collected with a brush and dustpan, not by hand, and disposed of in a closed container.
- Carrying and standing: Carrying heavy trays, crates and kegs; standing for long periods. A pallet truck or trolley is used for heavy crates.
- Late working and closing alone: A worker cashing up or closing the kitchen late at night should not be left alone, and the exit route should be lit.
- Tension with customers: What to do and whom to inform in the event of verbal abuse or an aggressive customer is determined in advance.
For hotel kitchens and large-scale food services, see our article on OHS in hotels, and for risks shared with retail, OHS in supermarkets and shops.
Restaurant emergency plan and drills
A restaurant emergency plan must take customers into account as well as workers. The plan covers fire, gas leak, earthquake and injury scenarios, escape routes and the assembly point, gas and electricity shut-off points, the persons assigned and contact details. The evacuation plan is posted at entrances and on each floor.
The number of support staff is determined by the hazard class: for each of the firefighting, rescue and protection teams, at least one person is assigned for up to 50 workers in less hazardous and up to 40 workers in hazardous workplaces; in a workplace with fewer than 10 workers, one person is sufficient for all three teams. The first aid team is formed according to the number of first aiders. A drill is held at least once a year and a drill form is completed. Even a drill held outside service hours shows whether the closing team can find the gas valve and the electrical panel.
Bursa Sistemer provides risk assessment, emergency plan and training support to restaurants and cafés in Bursa and neighbouring provinces within its OHS specialist service. Other topics for service and retail businesses are on our office and retail page; for all the obligations of the less hazardous class, see our article on obligations of less hazardous workplaces.
Frequently Asked Questions
My café has two workers; is an OHS specialist required?
Yes. There is an obligation to appoint a specialist and physician whatever the number of workers. If your workplace is in the less hazardous class, you can provide this service yourself by completing the Ministry training; pre-employment and periodic examinations are outside this scope.
Can an LPG cylinder be kept in a restaurant basement?
No. Art. 109/6 of the Regulation on the Fire Protection of Buildings prohibits keeping LPG cylinders in full basement floors below ground level in buildings used as workplaces or open to the public.
Is a hood extinguishing system mandatory in every restaurant?
Art. 57/1 of the Regulation imposes this requirement for kitchens in shopping centres and high-rise buildings, food factories and kitchens serving more than 100 people at a time. In other kitchens, the need is determined by the risk assessment.
What training should waiting staff receive?
At least 2 hours of induction training before starting work, followed by basic OHS training within 3 months. Staff working with food must also hold a hygiene training certificate.
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.