A study on the exploration of succes factors and the problems in the implementation of occupational health and safety management systems in ground handling companies in Turkey

Successful implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) ensures the safety of employees and protects their health and thus has an important role in increasing their effectiveness and efficiency. This role is an important tool for companies in realization their objectives and in reducing social cost. Therefore, there is a benefit in increasing the success of Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. In this paper, it has been aimed to identify factors affecting the success of Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems implemented by ground handling companies operating in the air transport sector in Turkey, and issues in practice, thus, to develop solution offers to the identified problems. In the study, due to purpose of gathering in-depth knowledge, taking into account the context, qualitative research pattern has been chosen, and inductive and descriptive qualitative data analysis methods have been used. Research was conducted on ground handling companies having Group-A license in Turkey, and catering organizations operating in the context of ground handling services. The research has been studied by two different data collection methods on two different groups. From senior manager of occupational health and safety management systems, data were collected by the method of the Nominal Group Interview. From the second group participants consisting of 24 OH&S specialists, data were collected through an open-ended questionnaire. The research data was analyzed with qualitative data analysis methods, findings are defined and interpreted based on the research questions. Research data analysis revealed that success factors of the OHSMS implemented by ground handling companies have been assessed under the themes of positive safety culture, support of senior management, partners, OHSMS practices, regulations, and OHS professionals. Problems in implementation of OHSMS and solution offers are also revealed similar to the success factors. As a result, it seems that main theme affecting the success of OHSMS, uncovering application problems and having a priority in solution offers is the positive safety culture.