The applıcatıon of the occupatıonal health and safety at schools and the evaluatıon of the teachers' level of knowledge about occupatıonal health and safety

THE APPLICATION OF THE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY AT SCHOOLS AND THE EVALUATION OF THE TEACHERS' LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ABSTRACT The Occupational Health and Safety Law numbered 6331, published on Offical Gazette numbered 28339 and came into force on 30th of June in 2012. The object of this law is to regulate duties, authority, responsibility, rights and obligations of employers and workers in order to ensure occupational health and safety at workplaces and improve existing health and safety conditions. The Occupational Health and Safety Law numbered 6331, includes new rules for schools besides workplaces. School directors and teachers in their capacity as employers and employees are required to implement the laws and regulations. School directors are responsible to ensure safety and protect students from every hazard, injury and risks that may occur during the transportation of students to the schools and in the places where the school activities are carried outside the school. No. 6331 Occupational Health and Safety Law is the greatest innovation brought by the law, without distinction between public and private sectors, in all sectors, regardless of the company size has been working to cover all employees. The scope of Article 2 of the Law "This law; public and to all jobs and businesses of the private sector, these businesses with their employer to employer representatives, apprentices and trainees shall also apply to all employees regardless of issues, including activities" identified. But, the law despite the fact that all workers in all sectors has not yet reached this point in terms of force. According to the latest regulations, public institutions and less dangerous class in less than 50 staff located in offices will start running occupational safety specialist and occupational physicians from 07/01/2016. Examination of the current situation in our schools before the start of this obligation, the school management, teachers' awareness through training on occupational health and safety, will contribute to the application on behalf of the school avoid the work accident. With this study, the teachers are expected to acquire a sufficient level of knowledge about and Occupational Health and Safety to convey this information by emphasizing the importance of it to their students.This study would not only contribute to identify the deficiencies and weaknesses about Occupational Health and Safety practices; but also help developing and implementing improvement measures about Occupational Health and Safety knowledge and practices at schools.In these light of these expectations, studies in this field of subject would play an important role in terms of increasing the awareness of Occupational Health and Safety and training qualified and informed personnell for the future. In this study, a survey has been undertaken with the teachers from 8 different schools in the regions of Büyükçekmece, Beylikdüzü and Esenyurt and the results of this survey have been evaluated. In this survey, the application of any existing Occupational Health and Safety procedures in those sample schools and teachers' level of knowledge have been identified in details from the perspectives of the teachers' worklife experiences. Also, the teachers, ability of obtaining information about Occupational Health and Safety in their work places has been searched. The survey consists of 26 questions and has been conducted with the participation of 150 teachers. Undertaking risk analysis at the schools makes the identification and observation of the potential hazards and risks possible. When they are known, They can be minimised by taking precautions. The teachers's survey shows us that most of the teachers do not know the concept of risk evaluation and most of the public schools do not undertake any risk analysis. On the contrary the survey has shown us that Most of the private schools were undertaking the risk analysis and evaluates the risk levels. In schools where the surveyed, made a general risk assessment, hazard and danger that may arise from extreme, high, medium and low risks, corrective and preventive actions, measures to be taken have been identified. By taking of specified actions, can be inhibited from becoming sources of danger to risks or reduction to an acceptable level can be provided. Thus, the school administration, staff, teachers and students, will be able to live in a healthy and safe school environment of education and training without school accidents. It can be concluded that the school management undertakes a risk management analysis or orders one to be undertaken in order to provide, sustain and improve a safe and healty work place to its workers.School management provides all the necessary tools and information, allocates time and location to the people who are in charge of undertaking the risk assesment and evaluation. Key Words: Occupational Health and Safety, School, Education, Teacher, Survey, Risk Assesstment.