Almost every occupational health and safety obligation depends on a single variable. The workplace hazard class. How many minutes a month the occupational physician and safety specialist serve, the specialist's certificate class, the periodic examination interval, training hours and the risk assessment renewal period are all set by this class.
There are three classes. Low hazard, hazardous and very hazardous. Which workplace falls into which class is listed in the Communiqué on Workplace Hazard Classes for Occupational Health and Safety according to six-digit NACE Rev.2 activity codes.
Where do you find your NACE code?
- Your six-digit NACE code appears in the social security (SGK) workplace registration and on e-Bildirge screens.
- The tax certificate and trade registry records also carry an activity code, but the code in the SGK registration is the one that counts.
- When the workplace record is opened in İSG-KATİP, the hazard class is derived from this code.
Once you have the code, look up the class listed next to it in the annex of the Communiqué. Auxiliary activities take the class of the main activity. Where more than one main activity is carried out at the workplace, the one with the higher hazard class prevails. A foundry with an accounting office is assessed as a foundry.
What changes with the class?
The values below are the minimum limits in the relevant regulations, listed in the order low hazard, hazardous, very hazardous.
- Safety specialist time per employee per month 10, 20 and 40 minutes. Certificate class at least C, at least B and A.
- Occupational physician time per employee per month 5, 10 and 15 minutes.
- Other health personnel are required only in the very hazardous class with 10 or more employees.
- Periodic health examination at least every 5, 3 and 1 years.
- Basic OHS training 8 hours every 3 years, 12 hours every 2 years, 16 hours every year.
- Risk assessment and emergency plan renewal every 6, 4 and 2 years.
- Emergency support staff at least one person per 50, 40 and 30 employees.
- Certified first aiders at least one person per 20, 15 and 10 employees.
A worked example
Take a production plant with 60 employees in the hazardous class. The safety specialist serves at least 1,200 minutes a month, that is 20 hours, and must hold at least a class B certificate. The occupational physician serves at least 600 minutes a month, that is 10 hours. Periodic examinations repeat at least every three years, every employee receives 12 hours of basic OHS training every two years, and the risk assessment is renewed every four years.
If the same plant moves to the very hazardous class, the specialist time doubles and a class A certificate is required, the physician time rises to 900 minutes a month, other health personnel are assigned because there are 10 or more employees, and periodic examinations become annual.
Verify the class before signing
OSGB contracts state the service times and the specialist class according to the hazard class. A contract based on the wrong class counts as an incomplete assignment during an inspection even if the service was delivered. Sharing your NACE code at the quote stage is enough. We send the minimum time calculation and a scope proposal in writing the same business day.