In brief
The Regulation on Health and Safety Measures in Workplace Buildings and Annexes requires toilets and washbasins to be separate for women and men, close to the workplace and sufficient in number, but does not give a fixed figure. Separate changing areas and lockable lockers for work requiring work clothing, a rest area in workplaces with 10 or more workers, and a suitable eating area for those who eat at the workplace are mandatory.
What does the regulation on workplace buildings and annexes cover?
The requirements for toilets, changing rooms and rest areas are not spread across separate regulations but collected in a single text: the Regulation on Health and Safety Measures in Workplace Buildings and Annexes (Official Gazette 17.07.2013). The regulation on workplace buildings and annexes also treats rest, breastfeeding, eating, sleeping, washing, examination and care areas, and spaces such as yards, as "annexes" (Art. 4). The main rules are in Annex 1 of the regulation; the employer meets these minimum requirements (Art. 5).
The Regulation applies to all workplaces covered by Law No. 6331, but there are five exceptions (Art. 2/2):
- Means of transport used outside the workplace
- Construction and similar temporary or mobile work sites
- Mining, oil and gas extraction
- Fishing vessels
- Agricultural and forestry areas far enough away not to interact with workplace buildings and annexes
Building sites are therefore subject to separate rules; for that subject, see our article on the Regulation on OHS in Construction Work.
Where the Regulation contains no explanatory provision, the relevant Turkish standards, European standards and internationally recognised standards are taken into account, in that order (Art. 8/2). This provision is the route for filling in expressions such as "sufficient in number", which you will see below.
Requirements for annexes in a single table
| Area | When is it required? | Minimum requirements | Annex 1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toilets and washbasins | In every workplace | Separate for women and men, close to the workplace, sufficient in number, with cleaning supplies | 55–56 |
| Changing area | Where work clothing must be worn | Separate for women and men, sufficient capacity and seating | 50 |
| Lockable locker | In every workplace with a changing area | A locker of sufficient size for each worker | 51 |
| Two-compartment locker | In damp, dusty or dirty work, or work with hazardous substances | Work and street clothing kept separate | 51 |
| Showers | Where required by the work or for health reasons | Hot and cold running water, separate for women and men | 52–53 |
| Washbasins (work not requiring showers) | Close to the workplace and changing area | Hot water if needed, separate for women and men | 54 |
| Rest area | Where the work requires it, or with 10 or more workers | Not required in offices where breaks can be taken during work | 46–47 |
| Eating area | Where workers eat at the workplace | Thermal comfort, hygiene, adequate equipment | 48 |
| Pregnant and breastfeeding women | Where there are such workers | Facilities to rest lying down | 49 |
| First aid room | According to the workplace's size, activity and accident risk | Supplies, stretcher, signage | 58–60 |
How many toilets should a workplace have?
Article 55 of Annex 1 requires toilets and washbasins to be close to workplaces, rest rooms, changing areas and shower and washing areas; to be built separately for women and men; to meet suitable ventilation, lighting, thermal comfort and hygiene conditions; and to be sufficient in number. The necessary cleaning supplies are kept in the toilets. Article 56 requires toilets and washbasins to be located away from water tanks, places where water passes, and places where food is stored or processed.
That is all the Regulation says in answer to the question "how many toilets should a workplace have?": no fixed number is given. In that case, the employer must be able to show that the number is sufficient. To do so, follow these steps:
- Count the busiest shift. Count women and men separately; add subcontractor workers and regular visitors.
- Look at the break pattern. If everyone goes on break at the same time, queues form. Staggering breaks can be a quicker solution than building new toilets.
- Measure the distance. A toilet at one end of a large production area is not "close" for a worker at the other end; more than one toilet block may be needed.
- Check accessibility. If there are workers with disabilities, arrangements are made taking into account the TS 9111 and TS 12460 standards (Annex 1 item 61). For details, see our article on adapting work for workers with disabilities.
- Observe. Monitor waiting times and complaints during break times for a few days.
- Record the cleaning. The Regulation requires buildings and annexes to be cleaned regularly and records to be kept (Art. 5/1-ç). The cleaning and consumables checklist is that record itself.
The result of this method is not a legal number; but it is a concrete record showing in an inspection that the provision is "sufficient". In food processing companies, check the distance requirement in article 56 separately; other risks in the sector are on our food page.
Are changing rooms mandatory?
A changing room is not mandatory in every workplace, but only for workers who are required to wear work clothing. In that case, under article 50 of Annex 1, changing areas:
- Are of sufficient size and capacity and easily accessible,
- Meet suitable lighting, ventilation, thermal comfort and hygiene conditions,
- Are arranged separately for women and men,
- Contain sufficient seating.
Workers are not permitted to change clothes outside the changing areas. Under article 51, changing rooms contain a lockable locker of sufficient size for each worker to store their clothes during working hours. In work involving damp, dust, dirt or hazardous substances, two adjacent compartments or two separate lockers are provided so that work clothing and outdoor clothing are stored separately. In workplaces where no changing area is required, a suitable place is also set aside for workers to store their clothes.
The two-compartment locker requirement prevents contaminated work clothing being carried over to everyday clothes and from there into the home. In workplaces where carcinogenic substances are used, this rule is reinforced by a separate regulation; details are in our article on carcinogenic and mutagenic substances.
Showers and washbasins
Wherever the work or health-related reasons require it, or workers need to wash, washing areas and showers with hot and cold running water are provided separately for women and men. Showers are wide enough to wash comfortably and are arranged so that the inside cannot be seen from outside (Annex 1 item 52). Showers and washbasins are kept ready for use at all times and cleaning supplies are provided; if they are separate from the changing areas, easy access between them is ensured (item 53).
In work that does not require showers, washbasins separate for women and men, with hot water if necessary, are also provided near the workplaces and changing rooms (item 54). Foundries, paint shops, chemical filling and dusty work are typical examples where showers are "required by the work".
Wet floors increase the risk of slipping. For non-slip flooring and drainage at shower and washbasin exits, see our article on preventing slips, trips and falls.
Rest areas and eating areas
A rest area is mandatory in two situations: where it is necessary for workers' health and safety because of the nature of the work, or where there are 10 or more workers in the workplace (Annex 1 item 46). In office and similar work where suitable breaks can be taken during work, a separate rest area is not required. If there is no more suitable place, the eating area can be used as a rest area provided it meets the necessary conditions. If working time is interrupted frequently and regularly because of the work, suitable places to rest during these breaks are also provided (item 47).
An eating area is mandatory for workers who have to eat their meals at the workplace. It must be of a quality and size that allows meals to be eaten comfortably, meet suitable thermal comfort and hygiene conditions and be fitted with adequate equipment. If there is no more suitable place, the rest area can be used as an eating area; the employer can also provide eating facilities outside the workplace that meet these conditions (item 48). Rest, changing, shower, toilet and eating areas are kept at a temperature suitable for their purpose (item 19).
Suitable facilities are provided for pregnant and breastfeeding women to rest lying down (item 49). For the breastfeeding room and nursery obligation, see our article on the breastfeeding room and nursery requirement.
Additional requirements for workplaces with accommodation
Employers who provide accommodation for their workers arrange these places so as to protect workers' health and safety (Art. 5/1-ğ). Under article 66 of Annex 1, accommodation, rest and social facilities are built from non-combustible and not easily ignitable materials. Tents and tarpaulins are not used for accommodation; braziers, charcoal stoves and open fires are not used for heating. These places have a sufficient number of toilets, washbasins and showers. In buildings for single workers, women and those under 18 are accommodated in separate sections with no connection to the part where men stay (item 67).
Checklist: are your annexes ready for inspection?
- Are women's and men's toilets separate, and close to the work areas?
- Is there an assessment or observation record showing that the number of toilets is sufficient?
- Are the toilets away from food and water storage areas?
- In work requiring work clothing, are there separate changing areas and a lockable locker for each worker?
- Are two-compartment lockers used in dirty and hazardous work?
- Is there hot and cold running water in work that requires showers?
- If there are 10 or more workers, has a rest area been set aside?
- Does the eating area meet hygiene and thermal comfort requirements?
- Are cleaning and maintenance records kept?
- Are first aid supplies and emergency phone numbers clearly visible? For the contents of the cabinet, see our article on first aid cabinet supplies.
Under our OHS specialist service, we check the annexes as a fixed item on the site walk and enter shortcomings in the approved logbook and the action list. For the general arrangement of the site walk, see our OHS site walk checklist, and for your workplace's other obligations, the OHS obligation calculator tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many toilets should a workplace have?
The Regulation does not give a fixed number; it requires toilets that are separate for women and men, close to the workplaces and "sufficient in number". Assess sufficiency using the number of workers on the busiest shift, the break pattern, distance and observation, and record it. On matters with no explanatory provision, the relevant standards are taken into account.
Is a changing room mandatory in every workplace?
No. For workers required to wear work clothing, separate changing areas for women and men and a lockable locker for each worker are mandatory. In workplaces where no changing area is required, a suitable place is still set aside for clothes.
Can the rest area and the canteen be the same place?
Yes. If there is no more suitable place and the necessary conditions are met, the eating area can be used as a rest area and the rest area as an eating area.
Must women's and men's toilets be separate in a small workplace?
The Regulation requires toilets and washbasins to be built separately for women and men and provides no exception for small workplaces. Plan on the basis of this requirement.
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.