Health surveillance is one of the most concrete obligations that Occupational Health and Safety Law No. 6331 places on the employer. Article 15 of the law requires workers to undergo a health examination when they start work, when their job changes, when they return after a work accident or occupational disease or a health-related leave, and at regular intervals throughout their employment.
So what does this examination cover? Which test is mandatory for which worker? In this guide, we lay out the full scope of workplace health screening through the questions we hear most often in the field.
The two core documents of health surveillance
The EK-2 form sits at the center of the process. It is the 'Pre-Employment / Periodic Examination Form' annexed to the Regulation on the Duties, Authorities, Responsibilities and Training of Occupational Physicians and Other Health Personnel. Both the pre-employment report and the periodic examination report are prepared on this form. In hazardous and very hazardous class workplaces, the occupational physician signs it.
The 'laboratory findings' section of the form is the real subject of screening. The occupational physician decides which tests will be run based on your workplace risk assessment. This is exactly where mobile health service comes in, completing all of the tests on site in a single organization.
Mandatory tests by exposure
- Dust exposure in mining, cement, foundry, and furniture work calls for a PA chest X-ray and a pulmonary function test. For pneumoconiosis follow-up, the films are read to the ILO standard.
- Noise exposure in press, weaving, and compressor work calls for audiometry in a soundproof booth, with threshold tracking compared against earlier audiograms.
- Chemical and solvent exposure in paint, plastics, and printing work calls for biological monitoring markers in urine such as phenol and hippuric acid, plus liver enzymes.
- Lead and heavy metal exposure in battery, galvanizing, and welding work calls for blood lead, ZPP, and the relevant metal levels.
- Food and cleaning work calls for a food handler screening (portör) set, which includes stool culture, stool microscopy, throat and nose culture, and a chest X-ray.
- Work at height and heavy physical work call for a fitness-for-work assessment with an ECG, complete blood count, blood glucose, and vision screening.
- Display screen work calls for vision screening under the Display Screen Equipment Regulation.
Periodic examination frequency
How often tests repeat depends on your workplace hazard class. In the very hazardous class it is at least once a year, in the hazardous class once every three years, and in the low hazard class once every five years. These periods are upper limits. The occupational physician can require more frequent examinations when needed. For positions with noise or dust exposure, annual follow-up is the practical standard.
The advantage of bringing screening to the workplace
With the classic approach, each worker means a hospital appointment, transport, and at least half a day of lost work time. With a mobile health vehicle, the same tests are completed on site in an average of 15 minutes per person. Results are archived digitally, and your EK-2 file is delivered ready for inspection. At a site of 200 people, this difference means close to a hundred workdays saved.
To see the test set that fits your hazard class and a sample screening schedule, you can fill out our quote form or review the tables on our regulations page.