Occupational physician's duties, powers and responsibilities

In 2012, comprehensive regulations on occupational health and safety were enacted in Turkey. By force of the Code of Occupational Health and Safety numbered 6331, occupational health and safety legislation provisions, which were previously stipulated under different codes, are gathered under one heading. The Turkish Constitution certainly guarantees occupational health and safety regulations as well as international regulations. As a matter of fact, the 17th and 49th articles of the Constitution regulate the right to "physical integrity" and the "right to work". Moreover, the measures that have to be taken and the obligations that have to be fulfilled by employers are regulated in detail in the Code of Occupational Health and Safety numbered 6331. Besides the Code, concerning the definitions and conditions, a "Regulation on Duty, Authority, Responsibility and Education of the Occupational Physicians and other Medical Personnel" has also been enacted. This thesis elaborates the duties, authorities and responsibilities of the occupational physician, who is pivotal in terms of the health measures that have to be taken by employers. In this regard, scholarly opinions and the Court of Cassation judgements have been addressed in our study.