Investigation of the effects of occupational health and safety laws on work accidents in Turkey and some European countries

Occupational health and safety is the essential protector of modern working life. The Occupational Health and Safety Law, which entered into force on 30.06.2012 in our country, undertakes the biggest task in preventing work accidents and work accident deaths. In this study, the effect of the OSH Act to occupational accidents were investigated in Turkey and comparison of finding with European countries has been made. In this study, the reference years 2013 for Turkey, 2008 for European countries is taken, two periods of work accidents and occupational accident mortality tables and charts are examined and interpreted. In addition, statistical analysis of the available data was made with the SPSS package program. Occupational accidents and frequency of work-related accidents in Turkey between the years of 1998-2016 were determined statistically significantly less than the average of 16 European countries, however, it was determined that work accident deaths and incidence of work accident deaths are higher. Though some statistically significant decrease was recorded in the average of work accidents and work accident deaths in European countries after 2008, not any significantly differences were observed in Turkey. It is thought that the study will contribute to a better level of occupational health and safety in our country.