What is Occupational Health and Safety Training for Employers and Employer Representatives?

Occupational health and safety refers to the entirety of practices aimed at protecting the health and safety of employees in workplaces. From the perspective of employers and employer representatives, this field is not only a legal obligation but also an important responsibility in terms of creating a safe working environment.

Occupational Health and Safety Training for Employers and Employer Representatives is a training program prepared to enable employers or employer representatives to effectively carry out OHS services in compliance with the legislation. The training is conducted in accordance with distance education principles and is offered in an asynchronous, that is, non-simultaneous model.

Legal Basis of the Training

This training is carried out within the framework of the Regulation on Occupational Health and Safety Services to be Conducted by the Employer or Employer Representative in Workplaces, dated 29.06.2015 and numbered 29401.

Within this scope, the training has been prepared to enable employers or employer representatives to fulfill occupational health and safety services within the framework of the relevant legislation. Therefore, the program is particularly important for those who wish to carry out OHS processes in workplaces classified as less hazardous and having fewer than a specified number of employees.

Who Can Participate?

Occupational Health and Safety Training for Employers and Employer Representatives is intended for individuals who will personally carry out OHS services within the scope of the regulation. The target audience is stated on the training page as follows:

• Employers

• Employer representatives

• Individuals who will personally carry out OHS services within the scope of the regulation

• Owners or managers of less hazardous workplaces with fewer than 50 employees

• Individuals working or to be appointed as employer representatives

• Entrepreneurs planning to establish a business and wishing to fulfill the legal obligation within this scope

This training is not intended for interns. The training is aimed at employers and employer representatives who will take part in or conduct OHS processes in workplaces classified as less hazardous with fewer than 50 employees.

How Does the Training Process Work?

The program is conducted entirely through an asynchronous distance learning model. In this model, participants can access course videos between the specified start and end dates. Since the course content is accessible 24/7, participants can watch the training materials at times suitable to their own schedules.

What Topics Are Included in the Training Content?

Occupational Health and Safety Training for Employers and Employer Representatives is structured around main headings consisting of general topics and health and safety topics.

Within the scope of general topics, labor legislation, the legal rights and responsibilities of employers and employees, the Occupational Health and Safety Law, the Labor Law, and other relevant legislation are addressed. In addition, the preventive approach in occupational health and safety, safety culture, the definition of hazard and risk, risk assessment, and principles of protection from risks are included in the training content.

The program also addresses occupational accidents and occupational diseases. Under this heading, the definition, notification, reporting, cost, and legal consequences of occupational accidents and occupational diseases are emphasized. The definition and reporting of near-miss incidents and the lessons to be learned from these events are also among the training topics.

Health and Safety Topics

Risk factors related to work execution and the working environment are also covered in detail in the training content. Topics such as work equipment, electricity, flashover, explosion, fire and fire protection, waste management, manual lifting and carrying, loading, unloading, stacking, and storage are evaluated within this scope.

Physical, chemical, biological, and ergonomic factors are also among the risk topics covered in the training. In addition, workplace buildings and annexes, cleanliness and order in the workplace, working with display screen equipment, health and safety signs, and emergency situations are included in the program content.

Within the scope of individual and organizational factors, the causes of occupational accidents and occupational diseases, principles of protection, first aid, psychosocial risk factors, and the use of personal protective equipment are addressed.

Certificate Validity and Scope of Duties

On the training page, it is stated that there is no limitation in the legislation regarding the validity period of the certificate. However, in case of a change in the hazard class, an increase in the number of employees above 50, or significant changes in the workplace structure, it is stated that an occupational safety specialist or workplace physician must be appointed in accordance with the new conditions.

It is also stated that the activities that can be carried out by the employer or employer representative are limited to administrative procedures such as providing OHS training to employees and organizing documents and records. Pre-employment and periodic examinations and environmental measurements can only be carried out by a workplace physician or occupational safety specialist.

Occupational Health and Safety Training for Employers and Employer Representatives is a distance education program prepared to enable employers or employer representatives to carry out OHS services in compliance with the legislation. The training covers main topics such as labor legislation, preventive approach, risk assessment, occupational accidents, occupational diseases, workplace risks, emergency situations, and OHS documentation.

This training is an important education program linked to the legislation, especially for employers and employer representatives who wish to carry out OHS processes in less hazardous workplaces with fewer than 50 employees. After completing the program, participants must also take into account the post-training OHS-KATİP processes.