How Long Must OHS Records Be Kept?

Why does the OHS record retention period matter?

A folder thrown away during an archive clear-out may be the only document sought ten years later in an occupational disease case. Lung diseases, hearing loss or occupational cancers appear years after exposure. To cover this delay, the OHS record retention period extends to decades for some records.

The basic rule is in Art. 7/1 of the Regulation on Occupational Health and Safety Services: subject to the special periods in the relevant legislation, the employer keeps all records relating to OHS activities in the workplace and employees' personal health files. The period for the personal health file is stated explicitly; for other records, the specific regulations must be consulted.

Table of retention periods in the legislation

The table below shows the records for which the legislation sets an explicit period, and the point at which the period starts:

Source texts: Dust Control Regulation, Regulation on Health and Safety Measures in Work with Carcinogenic or Mutagenic Substances, Regulation on Health and Safety Measures in Work with Asbestos, Regulation on the Prevention of Risks of Exposure to Biological Agents and Regulation on Health and Safety Requirements for the Use of Work Equipment.

Note the starting point of the periods in the table. The health records retention period starts from leaving employment, while the carcinogen exposure record retention period starts from the end of exposure. The records of someone who has worked at the same workplace for years therefore remain in the archive for much longer when calculated from their start date.

Sample calculation: An employee starts in 2012, works with a carcinogenic substance until 2018, then moves to another department and leaves in 2026. The list and health surveillance records relating to carcinogen exposure are kept until at least 2058 (2018 + 40), and the rest of the personal health file until at least 2041 (2026 + 15). In practice, rather than splitting the file, it is safer to keep the whole file for the longer period.

Health records: who keeps them, and to whom are they given?

The personal health file contains pre-employment and periodic examination forms, test results and exposure information. The file is kept in line with the principle of confidentiality; the workplace physician manages the file, while the retention obligation lies with the employer. When the employee moves to another workplace, the new employer requests the file in writing; the previous employer sends a certified copy of the file within one month (Regulation on OHS Services, Art. 7/2).

The closure of the workplace is regulated separately for special records:

• Records relating to carcinogenic substances are handed over to the SGK provincial directorate when the activity ends (Carcinogens Regulation, Art. 17/2).
• Asbestos records are handed over to the acquiring business if the workplace is transferred together with its employees, or to the SGK provincial directorate if it closes (Asbestos Regulation, Art. 17).
• In workplaces where chemical substances are used, health and exposure records are also handed over to the SGK provincial directorate when the activity ends (Chemical Agents Regulation, Art. 12).

Health data is special category personal data. Art. 4 of Law No. 6698 (the Personal Data Protection Law, KVKK) requires personal data to be kept for the period set in the relevant legislation or necessary for the purpose for which it is processed. The destruction of health records whose retention period has expired should therefore also be recorded. For access and confidentiality rules, see our article on employee health data and the KVKK.

The periodic inspection report retention rule

For work equipment, the retention rule depends on the equipment's service life. Under Annex III of the Work Equipment Regulation, documents issued as a result of periodic inspection are kept for as long as the work equipment is in use. Art. 7 of the Regulation also requires inspection results to be recorded with a wet signature or a secure electronic signature and shown when the authorities request them. For portable equipment used outside the business, the latest periodic inspection report is kept with the equipment.

In practice this rule means that the whole history of a compressor tank or forklift, from its first report to its last, stays in the same file. Non-destructive testing reports are also kept as annexes to the periodic inspection report. To assess the content of reports, see our article on how to read a periodic inspection report. OSGBs cannot carry out periodic inspections; inspections are carried out by authorised persons registered on EKİPNET (the Ministry's register of authorised inspection personnel). At Bursa Sistemer we plan these inspections with authorised persons and monitor the report archive as part of periodic inspection follow-up.

Training certificates and records with no stated period

On the training certificate retention period, the 2026 OHS training regulation does not set a separate period. The same applies to risk assessment reports, emergency plans, drill forms, work accident records and OHS committee minutes. Some of these documents, however, have a validity period; for example, the emergency plan and risk assessment are renewed every 2, 4 or 6 years depending on hazard class. The renewed document replaces the old one, but the old version should not be thrown away, as it shows what was known at that time.

For documents with no stated period, prepare a written retention policy that takes the following two points into account:

1. Limitation periods for disputes: Under Art. 146 of the Turkish Code of Obligations, unless the law provides otherwise, claims are subject to a ten-year limitation period. Claims arising from a work accident or occupational disease may come up years later; the accident file, training record and risk assessment are the documents sought in defending such a claim. For how these documents are used, see our article on the SGK recourse action.
2. Consistency with linked records: Keeping an employee's training records for as long as the same employee's health file makes it possible to show training and exposure history together in an occupational disease investigation.

For the content and organisation of training records, see our article on OHS training certificates and records, and for the general structure of the file, our article on the contents of the OHS file.

Archive checklist

• Is the retention period and its trigger event (leaving employment, end of exposure, equipment taken out of service) written down for each document type?
• Is the list of exposed employees up to date for work with carcinogens, asbestos and dust?
• Are periodic inspection reports organised by equipment, from oldest to newest?
• Are electronic records signed with a secure electronic signature and backed up?
• Is access to health files restricted to the workplace physician and authorised health personnel?
• Is the destruction of expired records carried out with a signed record?

In Bursa Sistemer's OHS specialist and workplace physician services, we draw up a document inventory with businesses in Bursa and the surrounding provinces and enter the retention periods into it. You can review the administrative sanctions for missing records with the OHS administrative fines tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the personal health file kept?

At least 15 years from the date the employee leaves. If there is exposure to carcinogens, asbestos or certain biological agents, the related records are kept for up to 40 years from the end of exposure.

How many years should OHS training certificates be kept?

The 2026 training regulation does not set a separate period. The business should set this period in its own retention policy; keeping them for a long time is recommended, taking into account limitation periods for disputes and consistency with the health file.

When can periodic inspection reports be thrown away?

Reports are kept as long as the work equipment is in use. It is also advisable to keep them in the archive for some time after the equipment is taken out of service, for example in case of a dispute.

What happens to health records if the workplace closes?

Health and exposure records relating to carcinogens, asbestos and chemical substances are handed over to the SGK provincial directorate. For other records, the employer should set up an arrangement that fulfils the retention obligation.