In brief
There is no document called an “OSGB monthly report” in the legislation; however, the approved logbook, annual work plan, annual evaluation report, and training and health surveillance records are mandatory, and the OSGB is responsible for keeping them. In addition, writing a record of every visit and a short monthly service summary into the contract is the easiest way to measure the service. When the contract ends, the OSGB hands over all records to the employer even if not requested.
Does the legislation provide for a monthly OSGB report?
The contract with the OSGB (joint health and safety unit) has been signed, the approvals have been given on ISG-KATİP (the Ministry’s online OHS registration system), and the specialist and physician have started coming. A few months later, the question that comes to the employer’s mind is usually the same: “What do I have in hand in return for this service?” The expectation of a monthly OSGB report arises from this question.
The legislation does not define a mandatory document called a “monthly report”. On the other hand, there are records that the legislation requires to be kept, and under Art. 13 of the Regulation on Occupational Health and Safety Services, OSGBs are responsible for them: the annual work plan, the annual evaluation report, surveillance of the working environment, health surveillance of employees, and recording information and work results relating to work accidents, occupational diseases and OHS. A monthly report is a summary of these records that the employer can understand. If it is written into the contract, it becomes binding; for contract clauses, see our article on the clauses an OSGB contract should contain.
This article explains the outputs you should receive regularly from the OSGB once the contract has started, and how to follow them up.
Records required by the legislation
| Record | Legal basis | Frequency | Where is the original? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approved logbook (findings and recommendations logbook) | OHS Services Reg. Art. 7 | For every finding | Employer; copies in the archives of the specialist, physician and OSGB |
| Annual work plan | OHS Specialists Reg. Art. 9, Physicians Reg. Art. 9 | Once a year, before the year begins | Workplace, copy in the OSGB archive |
| Annual evaluation report | OHS Specialists Reg. Art. 9 (ANNEX-2), Physicians Reg. Art. 9 (ANNEX-3) | Once a year | Workplace, copy in the OSGB archive |
| Risk assessment | Risk Assessment Reg. | Every 2/4/6 years and when changes occur | Workplace |
| Training records | Training regulation | For every training session | Workplace and OSGB archive |
| Pre-employment and periodic examination records | Law No. 6331 Art. 15, Physicians Reg. ANNEX-2 | According to the examination calendar | Personal health file, confidential at the workplace |
| Emergency plan and drill form | Emergencies Reg. | Plan every 2/4/6 years; drill once a year | Workplace |
| Periodic inspection and measurement plan | OHS Specialists Reg. Art. 9/1-c | Annual plan, as reports come in | Workplace |
The specialist at the OSGB plans inspections and measurements and follows up their implementation; measurements and tests are planned with authorised laboratories and healthcare facilities, and their reports go into the workplace’s file. For the rules on using the approved logbook, see our article on the approved logbook, and for the annual documents, see our articles on the annual work plan and the annual evaluation report.
The OSGB visit report: a trace of every visit
Alongside the statutory records, the document that most concretely shows the relationship with the OSGB is the visit record. A good visit record contains the following information:
- Visit date, arrival and departure time, who came (specialist, physician or DSP)
- Departments visited and shift
- Findings made, with photographs where available
- Numbers of the items written in the approved logbook
- Training delivered, examinations carried out, meetings attended
- Status of items left open since the previous visit
- Plan for the next visit
The most important function of the visit record is to show that the time in the contract was actually used. The minimum times are given per employee per month: for the OHS specialist, 10, 20 and 40 minutes in the less hazardous, hazardous and very hazardous classes; for the workplace physician, 5, 10 and 15 minutes.
Example calculation: In a hazardous workplace with 120 employees, the minimum monthly time for the specialist is 120 × 20 = 2,400 minutes, or 40 hours; for the physician it is 120 × 10 = 1,200 minutes, or 20 hours. Since this workplace is in the hazardous class, there is no obligation to assign other health personnel (DSP). If, when you add up the hours in the visit records at the end of the month, you do not reach these figures, raise the issue with the OSGB. You can see your own workplace’s times with our OHS obligation calculator tool.
Training and examination lists
From the employer’s point of view, the two areas that slip most often are the training and examination calendars, because every employee’s dates are different. Ask the OSGB regularly for these two lists:
Training matrix: For each employee, the date of induction training, the date basic training was completed (within 3 months of starting work at the latest), the last refresher training and the next refresher date (every year in very hazardous, every 2 years in hazardous and every 3 years in less hazardous workplaces). New starters, those returning after an absence of more than 6 months and those changing jobs are marked separately. For record-keeping, see our article on OHS training certificates and records.
Examination calendar: For each employee, the date of the last examination, the date of the next periodic examination (at least every 5 years in less hazardous, every 3 years in hazardous and every year in very hazardous workplaces; the physician may shorten these intervals) and any restriction on fitness for work. Health information is confidential: the employer sees not the diagnosis but whether the employee is fit for work and any job restriction. Diagnoses and test results are kept in the personal health file at the workplace in line with the principle of confidentiality (OHS Services Reg. Art. 13/1-e).
Both lists should have a section for “those expiring within 30 days”, so that a missing training session or examination is noticed in advance rather than during an inspection.
OSGB performance tracking: measurable indicators
The simplest way to monitor the service is to look at the same few indicators every month. For the logic of the indicators, see our article on OHS performance indicators.
| Indicator | How is it measured? | What does it indicate? |
|---|---|---|
| Time delivered | Hours in visit records ÷ minimum monthly time | Quantity of service |
| Number and age of open findings | Items not closed in the approved logbook, and those older than 30/60/90 days | The employer’s speed of action |
| Training currency | Number of employees with up-to-date training ÷ total employees | Compliance with the training plan |
| Examination currency | Number of employees with up-to-date examinations ÷ total employees | Compliance with health surveillance |
| Periodic inspection validity | Share of equipment with an unexpired inspection report | Equipment safety |
| Near miss and accident records | Reports in the month and root cause investigations | Reporting culture |
Tracking open findings shows the performance not only of the OSGB but also of the employer: the specialist writes the finding, but the business carries out the corrective action. For this you can use the table in our article on tracking corrective and preventive actions.
A 30-minute review meeting once a month is sufficient: the OSGB specialist, the workplace physician or nurse, the employer’s representative and the employee representative if there is one. The agenda is the same every month: the monthly summary, open findings, upcoming training and examinations, and next month’s plan. Also check from time to time whether the assignments and times appear correctly on ISG-KATİP; for the steps, see our article on checking assignments on ISG-KATİP.
What is handed over when the contract ends?
Under Art. 13/2 of the Regulation on Occupational Health and Safety Services, copies of the approved logbook, copies of the annual work plan and annual evaluation report, and training records are kept in the OSGB’s archive, and at the end of the contract period all records and files are handed over to the employer by the OSGB, even if not requested. During the handover, check the following:
- Is the original of the approved logbook at the workplace, and are its copies complete?
- Are the last year’s work plan and evaluation report signed?
- Are training attendance lists, exam papers and certificates complete?
- Are personal health files being transferred in line with confidentiality rules, under the supervision of the workplace physician?
- Have editable and signed copies of the risk assessment and emergency plan been handed over?
Personal health files are kept for at least 15 years from the date the employee leaves (OHS Services Reg. Art. 7). For the whole OSGB change process, see our article on how to change your OSGB.
In our occupational safety specialist and workplace physician services for businesses in Bursa and the surrounding provinces, Bursa Sistemer OSGB records every visit, follows approved logbook findings until they are closed and shares training and examination calendars regularly with the employer. With our Nilüfer-based team, we apply the same reporting arrangements at workplaces across our service region.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an OSGB obliged to provide a monthly report?
There is no document called a “monthly report” in the legislation. What is mandatory is the approved logbook, the annual work plan, the annual evaluation report, and training and health surveillance records. If you write a monthly service summary into the contract, it becomes binding on the OSGB.
How do I verify the OHS specialist’s visits?
At every visit, have a visit record signed showing the arrival and departure times, the departments visited and the work done. At the end of the month, add up the hours and compare them with the minimum time calculated for your number of employees and hazard class.
Can the employer see employees’ examination results?
The employer knows whether the employee is fit for work and any job restriction; details of diagnoses and tests are confidential and are kept in the personal health file in line with the principle of confidentiality.
Who keeps the records when the contract ends?
Under Art. 13/2 of the Regulation on Occupational Health and Safety Services, the OSGB hands over all records and files to the employer at the end of the contract period, even if not requested.
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.