Türkiye: New Regulation on Occupational Health and Safety Training of Employees has been Published

Authors: Ipek Unlu Tik and A. Kaan Baser

The Regulation on the Procedures and Principles of Occupational Health and Safety Training of Employees (the “Regulation”), published in the Official Gazette dated 2 April 2026 and numbered 33212, entered into force on the date of its publication.

The new Regulation repeals the previous regulation dated 15 May 2013 and numbered 28648, and restructures some of the procedures and principles regarding occupational health and safety training of employees.

The key highlights introduced by the Regulation are as follows:

• It is no longer deemed sufficient for employers to merely plan and provide health and safety trainings; employers are now explicitly required to update trainings in line with changing risks and ensure their periodic repetition. In addition, it is emphasised that trainings must be designed to create changes in employees’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviours.
• Cost of occupational health and safety trainings cannot be borne by employees.
• Time spent in such trainings are deemed as working time. Where training periods exceed weekly working hours, such periods will be considered as overtime.
• Pre-employment health and safety trainings must be face-to-face. It is also explicitly regulated that risks arising from the working environment must be included in the training content.
• Pre-employment trainings must be provided for at least two hours for each employee, and this duration cannot be included in the fundamental training period.
• Fundamental trainings must be completed no later than three months from the employee’s date of employment, replacing the previous requirement of completion “as soon as possible.”
• The new Regulation defines one lesson hour as 45 minutes of instruction followed by a 15-minute break.
• Subjects relating to job and workplace-specific risks have been more clearly defined based on hazard classes.
• At least 8 hours for low-risk workplaces, 12 hours for hazardous workplaces, and 16 hours for very hazardous workplaces must be provided.
• Fundamental trainings must be repeated at least once a year in very hazardous workplaces, at least once every two years in hazardous workplaces, and at least once every three years in low-risk workplaces.
• The new Regulation also states that additional training must be provided without waiting for the periods stated above, in cases such as changes in job, position, equipment or the emergence of new risks.
• General, health and technical subjects may be delivered through online, face-to-face or hybrid methods. However, training on job and workplace-specific risks may only be delivered online for low-risk workplaces, whereas such trainings must be conducted face-to-face in workplaces classified as hazardous and very hazardous.
• The new Regulation requires that online training procedures to be traceable and that employee participation to be structured in a way that allows proper monitoring.
• Employees must achieve at least 60 points out of 100 to be considered successful. Employees who fail are granted a limited number of additional exam attempts; however, in case of repeated failure, they are required to re-take the training.
• Employees are now explicitly required to regularly follow the training programmes, demonstrate due care and attention, and participate in measurement and evaluation processes conducted by the employer.
• The new Regulation preserves the validity of trainings provided prior to its entry into force, allowing them to remain valid within their respective renewal periods. Additionally, it provides that previously undocumented trainings and briefings may be documented within one month from the date of publication of the Regulation.

Key Points

• The new Regulation on the Procedures and Principles of Occupational Health and Safety Training of Employees has been published, and has entered into force.
• The new Regulation repeals the previous regulation and restructures the procedures and principles concerning occupational health and safety trainings of employees.
• The new Regulation includes additional obligations both on employers and employees.