Historical Development of Occupational Health and Safety | Occupational health and safety is a concept introduced in the world in order to protect the health of workers and to ensure their working continuity. This concept goes back to the written sources of the Greek thinker Heradot. (BAYBORA, et al. 2016) In the written sources of Heradot; It is stated that employees should be fed with high-energy foods in order to be productive.

Again, after Herodotus, Hippocrates argued that workers could be harmed by their work. Parallel to this, he stated that lead is poisonous. What is much more interesting is that among the occupational health and safety measures, the most frequently used mask was recommended by Plini at that time, in order to minimize the exposure of workers to dangerous dusts. He stated that the battery should be put in a bag to be used as a mask and to be worked on. (BAYBORA, et al. 2016)

Even though there are suggestions and studies on occupational health and safety dating back to 400 BC, the person considered to be the founder of occupational health and safety is the Italian Bernardino Ramazzini, who lived in the 17th century. Bernardino Ramazzini discussed occupational health and safety in his book “De Morbis Artifucum” based on scientific principles. In his book, Ramazzini described occupational diseases and recommended taking protective safety measures at work places to prevent work accidents. He was also the first to talk about the effects of “ergonomics” on the worker. (BAYBORA, et al. 2016)

Where did occupational health and safety begin?

Although occupational health and safety started in Italy, its development took place in England with the industrial revolution in the 18th century. (BAYBORA, et al. 2016)

The developments related to occupational health and safety in Turkey are the Dilaver Pasha Regulations dated 1865, first in the Ottoman period. Then, there are the Regulations of Maadin, dated 1869, and the law of Mecelle, which was completed in 1876. The Mecelle law has the feature of being the first civil law of the Turks and includes many sanctions on occupational health and safety. (BAYBORA, et al. 2016)

In the Republican period, the “Law Concerning the Law of Ereğli Havzai Fahmiyesi Mining Workers” dated 1921 and numbered 151, then the “Week Holiday Law” dated 1924 and numbered 394, the “Law of Obligations” dated 1926 and numbered 818, and the “Law of Obligations” dated 1930 and numbered 1593. Various regulations regarding occupational health and safety have been included in the “Public Health Law” and the “Turkish Code of Obligations” dated 2011 and numbered 6098. However, various labor laws have been enacted since the beginning of the Republican era. The first of these is the labor law dated 1936 and numbered 3008. Later, the Labor Law No. 931 of 1967, the Labor Law No. 1475 of 1971 and the Labor Law No. 4857 of 2003 were enacted. (BAYBORA, et al. 2016)

All these laws regulate the relationship between the employee and the employer and the working life. The fact that occupational health and safety is subject to a separate regulation from the labor law is the result of the legislator’s effort to place this area in the legal order. In order to ensure occupational health and safety, general regulations are made with the Occupational Health and Safety Law dated 20.06.2012 and numbered 6331, and the details are explained with regulations. What the legislator wants to achieve with all these regulations and laws is the integration of occupational health and safety into the legal order.