Industry-specific OHS solutions
OHS for metalworking and machinery manufacturing in Bursa
An OHS service that verifies the hazard class of each process separately, from machining and welding to laser cutting and nickel plating, and inspects machine safety on site.
- Hazard class
- Machining and welding are hazardous
- Activities that raise the class
- Laser cutting and nickel plating are very hazardous
- Cranes and slings
- Periodic inspection at least once a year
- Vocational training
- Certificate required for jobs in scope
Why does the hazard class in metal workshops depend on the process?
Metalworking and machinery manufacturing in Bursa spans a wide range, from small workshops supplying parts to automotive, textile machinery, agricultural and construction machinery manufacturers, to large plants that design and build their own machines. What they have in common is work with rotating and cutting equipment, hot work and heavy loads.
In this sector, the hazard class cannot be treated as a single class under the heading of “metal”. In the list renewed in 2025 according to NACE Rev.2.1, machining and welding work (25.53.01) is hazardous, while laser cutting of metals (25.53.03) and nickel plating of metals (25.51.01) are very hazardous. A workshop working only with CNC lathes and milling machines remains in the hazardous class, but if subcontracted laser cutting is also carried out as a main activity under the same roof, the higher class applies.
Moving into the very hazardous class has concrete consequences:
- A Class A OHS specialist
- At least 40 minutes of specialist time and 15 minutes of physician time per employee per month
- Other health personnel for 10 or more employees
- Periodic medical examinations and refresher training every year
- Renewal of the risk assessment at least every 2 years
When the main activity changes, this is notified to the Ministry within 1 month; if the class changes, the requirements are completed within 90 days.
The gaps we see most often on site are usually simple: no guard on the lathe chuck, an expired inspection date on a crane sling, local exhaust not working at the welding point, or a grinding wheel speed rating that does not match the machine. These small gaps are behind the sector’s most typical accidents, such as hand and finger amputations and eye injuries.
In metal and machinery businesses, Bursa Sistemer OSGB first draws up a process inventory: once it is clear which activity is the main activity, which machines are subject to periodic inspection under Annex III and which positions require a vocational training certificate, the annual plan is set up.
The risks we encounter most often on site
Entanglement in rotating equipment
Loose clothing, gloves or long hair caught in rotating parts of lathes, milling machines and drills cause the most severe limb injuries. Chuck guards and interlocked covers must never be bypassed.
Presses, press brakes and guillotines
In sheet-metal forming, a hand reaching between the blade and the die is the most serious risk. Light curtains, two-hand controls and back gauge safety must be active and tested regularly.
Welding fumes and radiation
MIG/MAG, TIG and stick welding generate metal fumes and gases, ultraviolet radiation and spatter. Local exhaust, welding screens and suitable masks are planned together.
Laser cutting
The laser beam, fumes and dust generated during cutting, and high-pressure gas cylinders are the main hazards. Enclosure interlocks, filtration and cylinder storage arrangements are inspected.
Plating and surface treatment baths
Nickel, chrome and zinc baths involve acid and alkali splashes, exposure to metal salts and inadequate exhaust above the baths. Nickel compounds can cause skin and respiratory sensitization.
Load handling with cranes
When moving heavy parts and dies, the wrong choice of sling, standing under a suspended load and the lack of a signaller lead to accidents. The annual inspection of cranes and slings is carried out together with daily operator checks.
Sample NACE codes and hazard classes
Your hazard class is determined by the NACE code in your Social Security Institution (SGK) registration. Examples of common codes in this industry:
| NACE | Activity | Hazard class |
|---|---|---|
| 25.53.01 | Machining and welding work | Hazardous |
| 25.53.03 | Laser cutting of metals | Very hazardous |
| 25.51.01 | Nickel plating of metals | Very hazardous |
If your code is not listed, send it to us and we will confirm it against the current official list. Calculate the obligations for your class →
Health surveillance and medical testing plan
The examination interval depends on the class: at least every 3 years in the hazardous class and every year in the very hazardous class. The physician determines the content of the tests according to the exposure from activities such as welding, grinding, plating and cutting.
Noise and hearing
If the value measured in press, guillotine and grinding areas exceeds the upper exposure action value of 85 dB(A), hearing tests are mandatory. The measurement determines which employees are tested and which hearing protection is selected.
Respiratory monitoring for welders
The physician assesses the need for lung function tests for employees exposed to welding fumes. For dust-generating jobs such as grinding and sandblasting, chest X-rays compliant with the ILO standard are taken; the physician determines their frequency.
Monitoring of plating workers
For employees working with metal compounds such as nickel and chrome, the physician plans skin, respiratory and, where necessary, biological monitoring tests based on workplace measurements and safety data sheets.
Eye and hand injuries
First response to eye injuries caused by chips and burrs, first-aid room records and analysis of recurring cases are part of health surveillance; recurrences are fed back into the risk assessment.
Periodic inspections to keep track of
- Presses, press brakes and guillotine shears: at least once a year
- Lathes and milling machines: at least once a year
- Overhead and gantry cranes, hoists: once a year; proof load test at most every 3 years
- Slings, chains and lifting accessories: at least once a year
- Compressors and air receivers: once a year at operating pressure
- Welding, laser and plating exhaust systems (ventilation): at least once a year
- Forklifts and pallet trucks: at least once a year
- Internal electrical installation, earthing and lightning protection: at least once a year
- Fire extinguishing and detection systems, portable extinguishers: at least once a year
Industry-specific training topics
- Entanglement in rotating equipment and machine guards
- Grinding wheel selection and safe use
- Fumes, radiation and fire prevention in welding
- Handling and storage of gas cylinders
- Crane signalling and sling selection
- Chemical safety at plating baths
- Laser cutting enclosures and beam safety
- Lockout/tagout during maintenance and repair
How we apply our services in this industry
Documents you should have ready for an inspection
- NACE code showing the main activity and determination of the hazard class
- Current risk assessment and machine-specific checklists
- Appointments approved in İSG-KATİP (the Ministry’s OHS registration system), including other health personnel for very hazardous
- Periodic inspection reports for machine tools, presses, cranes and slings
- Inspection reports for compressors and pressure vessels
- Noise, welding fume and metal dust measurement reports
- Annex 2 (EK-2) examination forms, fitness-for-work reports and test results
- Vocational training certificates and basic OHS training records
- Gas cylinder storage arrangements and hot work permit records
- PPE issue records and the latest drill form
Areas where this industry is concentrated
Frequently asked questions
Our workshop does both CNC machining and laser cutting; what is our class?
Under the Communiqué, the main activity carried out at the workplace is decisive; if there is more than one main activity, the higher class applies. Since machining and welding (25.53.01) are hazardous and laser cutting (25.53.03) is very hazardous, very hazardous class obligations arise if laser cutting is one of your main activities. If laser cutting is only an auxiliary process for your own parts, the situation may be assessed differently; we review your SGK registration and actual production together to clarify it.
Is a vocational training certificate mandatory for our welders?
For hazardous and very hazardous jobs listed in the annex to the regulation, workers must have received vocational training before being hired; people without a certificate cannot be employed in these jobs. Master and journeyman certificates, course certificates approved by the Ministry of National Education (MEB) and Vocational Qualification Certificates issued by the Vocational Qualifications Authority (MYK) are among the valid certificates. We check the scope of your positions together; for any gaps, vocational training is provided through our solution partners.
How often are cranes and slings inspected?
Under Annex III, lifting equipment including cranes, hoists and slings is periodically inspected at least once a year; if the manufacturer’s instructions or a standard specify a shorter interval, that interval applies. A load test is carried out once a year, and the proof load test is repeated at most every 3 years. The inspection is carried out by an engineer, technical teacher or technician registered in EKİPNET; the contract is set up in İSG-KATİP at least 1 day before the inspection.
Which measurements does our plating line need?
Because plating baths involve exposure to acid vapor and metal compounds, chemical workplace measurement is a key input to the risk assessment. Measurements are carried out by a laboratory holding a competence certificate from the Directorate General of Occupational Health and Safety (İSGGM), which notifies İSG-KATİP at least 3 days in advance. We set up the measurement plan with authorized laboratories and incorporate the results into the risk assessment and the physician’s test plan. The exhaust system above the baths is also inspected once a year as part of ventilation.
We are a small machining workshop; what are our obligations?
Because you are in the hazardous class, even with few employees you must appoint an OHS specialist and a workplace physician and have a risk assessment carried out. Employees receive induction training of at least 2 hours before starting work, followed by basic OHS training of at least 12 hours within 3 months; no employee can start without a fitness-for-work report. The law provides for state support for hazardous workplaces with fewer than 10 employees; we check the current practice together.
What is the most common mistake with grinding machines?
A frequent cause of grinding accidents is a wheel that does not match the machine: the maximum speed marked on the wheel must not be lower than the machine’s speed. Removing the guard, grinding with the side face of a cutting disc and using a cracked wheel are also common mistakes. Wheels must be stored protected from moisture and visually checked before mounting. Eye and face protection is not optional in this work.