OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
Session 1: The Concept of Occupational
Health and Safety and Its Historical
Development
LECTURER
ÖĞR. GÖR. NAZENİN GÜRE
1
The Concept of Occupational Health and Safety and
Its Historical Development
Outline of the Session
What is Occupational Health and
Safety?
The Purpose of Occupational Health
and Safety (OHS) Studies
Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in the World
Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in Turkey
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1- What is Occupational Health?
What is Occupational Health?
According to the definition made by the World Health Organization
(WHO)
health; It is defined as a state of complete well-being in physical,
mental and social aspects. Being healthy for an individual is not just
physically; It means a state of complete well-being, both spiritually and
socially.
According to the joint commission of WHO and International Labor
Organization (ILO); “Occupational health, to protect and develop the
physical, mental and social well-being of employees in all professions
at the highest level; preventing employees from losing their health due
to their working conditions; protecting employees from risks arising
from harmful factors in the workplace; ensuring that employees work
in a job suitable for their physical and psychological equipment; aims
to adapt the work to people and to adapt to each person's job ”.
Work health;
1Spiritual
2Physical
3By keeping social conditions at the highest level,
By making it suitable for human health
- To prevent the employee's damage caused by the profession
It is a branch of science that focuses on the coordination between the
employee and the work area.
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HEALTH: WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
not just the absence of injury and illness,
PHYSICAL
MENTAL
SOCIAL WELLBEING
it is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being
OUR HEALTH AND THE ENVIRORNMENT
our body is
affected by our
environment with
its biological
structure
1- What is Occupational Safety?
Occupational Safety ;
It is a concept that includes technical precautions
for eliminating or minimizing the hazards faced by
working individuals while performing a job. The
concept of occupational safety includes measures
related to the working environment.
In a basic sense, it aims to protect the employee
from the dangers that the employee may be
exposed to from his / her job or risks in the
working environment.
It is difficult to separate the concepts of
occupational health and safety with precise limits.
It is possible to see that two concepts are used
interchangeably in definitions or they are
considered as a whole. However, ``occupational
safety‘’ is a concept that expresses an approach in
technical terms.
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2- Purpose of Occupational Health and
Safety (OHS) Studies
Ensuring production
safety (Increasing
efficiency, Quality
superiority)
Ensuring operational
safety (Emergency
measures, risk
assessment)
Protect employees
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2- Purpose of Occupational Health and
Safety (OHS) Studies
OHS; It is a multidisciplinary science. The branches of
medicine, law, economics, psychology, social sciences,
ergonomics and engineering, as well as statistics,
physics, chemistry and mathematics are used.
Equipment and production technology in the
workplace, ergonomic conditions, skill level and age
of employees, relevant legislation, organizational
structure in the workplace, health checks and
suitability of employees, medical services and
organization, environmental characteristics (noise,
dust, heat, lighting, ventilation, cleaning, etc.). ),
recruitment processes, wages, social services, working
hours, etc., are directly or indirectly related to OHS.
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2- Purpose of Occupational Health and
Safety (OHS) Studies
MEDICINE
PSYCHOLOGY
PHYSICS
OHS
MATH
STATISTICS
CHEMISTRY
ERGONOMICS
ECONOMY
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3- Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in the World
OHS
BEFORE THE
INDUSTRIAL
REVOLUTION
OHS
AFTER THE INDUSTRIAL
REVOLUTION
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3- Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in the World
OHS Before the Industrial Revolution
People have had to work starting from the first
period of their existence. However, in the early days,
it was not possible to talk about a working life and
the working person because it was about working,
nutrition, accommodation, clothing to maintain life,
and there were no sharp boundaries between people's
work life and home life from the most primitive
periods to the modern times that started with
industrialization.
According to the archaeological findings; Written
history on the health of workers begins in 3000 BC,
when the Egyptian pyramids were built.
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3- Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in the World
OHS Before the Industrial Revolution
B.C. In the 2000s; Employer was responsible for the negative
consequences of the work that made the work, and the
foundations of occupational health and safety were laid with
the regulations in the Hammurabi Laws, one of the first known
laws of the history in the Babylonian period. The regulations in
Hammurabi Laws are as follows * In case of demolition of the
house, the person who builds the building is sentenced to death
in return for the death of the building owner.
* In case of demolition of the house, the son of the building
owner is sentenced to death in return for the death of the son of
the building owner.
* In case of demolition of the house, the building owner is
obliged to give a slave with the same qualification to the
building owner in return for the death of the slave of the
building owner.
* In case of damage to the property of the building owner, the
person who builds the building is in the reconstruction process
and is obliged to cover all the damages of the building owner.
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3-Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in the World
OHS Before the Industrial Revolution
First written sources on occupational health and safety concepts belong to
the ancient Greek thinker Herodotus. It is claimed that the first studies to
investigate the relationship between the health of the employees and the
work done were initiated by Herodotus. Famous historian and philosopher
Herodotus emphasized for the first time that employees should be fed with
high-energy foods in order to increase the productivity of the employees.
Hippocrates ; He talked about the toxic effects of lead for the first time.
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3-Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in the World
OHS Before the Industrial Revolution
Nicander developed the work of Hippocrates and it was observed that
employees emphasized not only the identification and definition of
health and safety problems, but also the need to take measures to
protect against harmful effects.
Plini said; in order to provide protection against hazardous dusts in
the working environment, employees should wear a bag as a mask.
Dr. Galen; During his time as chief physicians of the gladiators in
the Roman period, he compared the body structures of gladiators
with the audiences and found that constant body movements are
very important for healthy life. In this respect, he was accepted as
the founder of today's concept of sports medicine as the first
medical doctor who established the relationship between body
movements and physiology and treatment.
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3-Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in the World
OHS Before the Industrial Revolution

In Dr. Bernardino Ramazzini's book
on occupational diseases written in
1713, chemical substances, dusty
environments,
heavy
metals,
repetitive and violent movements,
wrong postures and other diseasecausing environmental factors were
discussed among the existing health
risks and also it was recommended
to take protective safety measures in
workplaces to prevent them. He is
the Founder of Occupational Health
and
called
as
"Father
of
Occupational
Health".
To
physicians; He gave his historical
advice, saying “Make sure to ask
your patient's profession”. ue.aydin.edu.tr
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3-Historical Development of Occupational Health and
Safety in the World
OHS Before the Industrial Revolution
Ramazzini wrote the book on occupational
diseases. It was the first time that he
expressed his opinion that job and worker
harmony has effects on employee health and
work efficiency.
Dr. Galen has been accepted
as the founder of the sports
medicine concept.
For the first time, Herodot
has made efforts to feed
employees to increase
Written history on The first written
the productivity of the Hippocrates; He
agreement,
the
hamurabi
the health of workers
talked about the
employees.
laws,
laid
the
foundations
begins in 3000 BC,
toxic effects of lead
of
occupational
health
and
when the Egyptian
for the first time.
safety
and
the
person
who
pyramids were built.
gets the job done is
responsible for its
negative consequences .
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3-Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in the World
OHS After the Industrial Revolution

With the industrial revolution, the place of nature and
organic power such as human, wind, water and animal
energy; With the purchase of machines activated by steam
power, factory production equipped with new technical
inventions and machines replaced the small craft, counter
and workshop production. This situation has caused great
changes in working environment conditions, production
tools and methods.
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3-Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in the World
OHS After the Industrial Revolution
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3-Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in the World
OHS After the Industrial Revolution

With the Industrial Revolution that first emerged in England in
the first half of the 18th century, a transition from workshops to
a factory system with large machines was made. Industrial
revolution, increasing working hours, child and women workers
being employed in bad and heavy conditions, etc. many factors
have revealed the necessity of the state to intervene in working
life.

Chimney Sweeps Law 1788

The Law on Health and Safety of Apprentices, dated 1807
(Regulation of employment of young children in mines)

Factories Law released in 1833 (minimum working age is 10,
doctor's report is required)
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3-Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in the World
OHS After the Industrial Revolution
In 1919 in Geneva, the International Labor
Organization (ILO) was established, it has done a
lot of agreement on occupational health and
safety, and the Republic of Turkey as a member in
1932, has signed a contract.
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3-Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in the World
OHS After the Industrial Revolution
 World Health Organization (WHO)
(1946)
 It is an organization affiliated to the United
Nations (UN) and conducting international
studies on public health.
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4-Historical Development of Occupational Health and
Safety in Turkey

The development of legislation to OHS for true
industrialization movements begin to show
themselves during the Republic of Turkey has
also delayed in this direction. In the pre-Republic
period, activities related to OHS mostly included
regional regulations and legal arrangements
were made in this direction. With these
regulations, ensuring the continuity of production
has been the main goal.

Following the proclamation of the Republic, with
the acceleration of industrialization movements,
the importance of OHS activities increased and
the protection of employee health was among
the priority objectives. Based on these
developments, the historical development of
OHS activities is divided into two as the preRepublic period OHS activities and the postRepublic period OHS activities.
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4-Historical Development of Occupational Health and
Safety in Turkey
BEFORE THE
REPUBLIC OF TURKEY
PERIOD
AFTER THE REPUBLIC
OF TURKEY PERIOD
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4-Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in Turkey
 Occupational Health and Safety Activities in the
Pre-Republic Period
Since the Ottoman Empire encountered the Industrial
Revolution, which manifested itself in the European
continent, in the period of decline, it could not keep up
with the industrialization movements. Although the
Ottoman State lagged behind the activities of European
countries in OHS issues, it carried out some studies in
this field. First of all, small crafts and workshop
production activities were quite common in the
Ottoman Empire, which included a structure in the form
of masters, journeymen and apprentices. The
relationship and working conditions between the
masters, journeymen and apprentices involved in these
production activities are determined by the rules and
customs of the guilds.
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4-Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in Turkey
 Occupational Health and Safety Activities in the Pre-
Republic Period

Cooperation is a very important activity for the guilds,
and the funds created in this direction have provided
assistance to the employees who cannot work due to
their illness. The necessary assistance for journeymen,
masters and apprentices for diseases that cannot be
cured were provided with these boxes.

When the arrangements made were not seen as
sufficient, studies were initiated in 1820 to improve the
working conditions of the employees. Production
disruptions were experienced due to the lung disease
caused by coal dust by workers exposed to long
working hours in coal mines. As a result of the negative
developments in this field, more comprehensive studies
were required.
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4-Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in Turkey
 Occupational Health and Safety Activities in the Pre
Republic Period
Some health problems brought about by the importance of mining
activities made it necessary to make regulations regarding OHS in this
field. The first legal regulation in the field of occupational health and
safety in our country was made regarding coal mining. The Dilaver
Pasha Regulations, published in 1865, is the first written document
that deals with various issues related to resting and vacation times,
accommodation places, working hours and their health of Ereğli and
Zonguldak coal basin workers.

Maadin Regulation (Occupational safety and importance to human)

Zonguldak Ereğli Basin Regulation ( Regulation of the working
conditions of coal workers)
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4-Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in Turkey
 Occupational Health and Safety Activities in the Post-
Republic Period
- Law of Obligations (1926) (Work accident and occupational diseases regulate legal
responsibilities. There are provisions that employers should take precautions in case of
any danger that the workers may encounter and that the damage caused by the accidents
will be provided from the employer)
- Public Health Law (1930) ( employing a workplace doctor in workplaces with 50
people or more) employment of children under the age of 12 as workers and apprentices
in factories, factories and mines is prohibited. It is forbidden for pregnant employees to
work in heavy work within 3 months before the birth for pregnant women. In addition,
regulations for breastfeeding in the first 6 months after birth are included in this law.
Labor Laws
Labor Law No. 3008 (1936)
Labor Law No. 931 (1967)
Labor Law No. 1475 (1971)
Labor Law No. 4857 (2003) CURRENT LAW
-Social Insurance and General Health Insurance Law No. 5510 (2006)
-6331 Occupational Health and Safety Law (2012)
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4-Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in Turkey
•
•
•
OLD
APPROACH
NEW
APPROACH
•
•
•
Deals with what happened
Includes a compensating approach
Neglects unsafe conditions
Requires risk assessment
Want to identify unsafe conditions in
an organization
Want to identify preventable effects
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REACTIVE
APPROACH
PROACTIVE
APPROACH
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4-Historical Development of Occupational
Health and Safety in Turkey
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Resources
• Başbuğ, A. (2013) Occupational Health and Safety at Workplaces,
Aydoğdu Offset, May.
• Arıcı, K. (1999) Occupational Health and Safety Lessons, Ankara,
Tes-İş Education Publications, Ankara.
• Raffle PAB; Lee WR, Mc alllum RI, Murray, Hodder and Stigton,
(1987) Hunter's Diseases of Occupations; london,).
• Sayıntürk, 2014: 46) Sayıntürk, Hakan (2014), Workers' Rights
Against Employers Who Violate Their Occupational Health and
Safety Liabilities, Unpublished Master's Thesis, Çankaya
University Institute of Social Sciences.
• http://uzmaniyiz.biz/is-sagligi-ve-guvenligi/genel-bilgiler/isggelisim-sureci.html
• Evaluation of the Application Level of Occupational Health and
Safety Legislation in Public Institutions, Unpublished Master's
Thesis, Üsküdar University Institute of Health Sciences.
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