STATUS OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH NURSING IN TURKEY Turkey is one of big country with dynamic young population in world. It has over 78 million popu-lations and almost 68% of them was found to be at the working age time (15-64 years). The main working sectors were agriculture (20.6%), industry (20%), construction (7.2%) and services (52.2%). Compare to 2005, the worker rate who is emplo-yed in agriculture and industry sector has declin-ed but it has been increased in the construction and service sector. Mining, construction, metal and textile and clothing sector is one of other important sector where mainly women are employed (Addati, Bonnet, Ernst, Merola and Wan, 2016). The employment rate was increased to 47.1%. Women’s labor participation rate was just over 30% in 2015. Howe-ver, unemployment rate was much higher than 2015 but it has showed reduction and recession in meanwhile according to the statistical data in Turkey, (TurskStat, 2016). Life expectancy at birth has been prolonged to 73 for man and 79 for female, 2015(WHO, 2016). Also expenditure on health has been increased with vast privatization in health sector. It has has large free-market economy (Turkey Economy Profile, 2016). The minister of Labor and Security mainly manage occupational health and safety services in the country. The history of occupational health services formally begun in 1930 with the first Labor law (Bilir and Yıldız, 2013) and then it was revised three times till 2004. In the meanwhile, the rate of occupational diseases, accidents and injuries was increased over time. Moreover, many workers died from work re- lated problems. Due to that reasons and with purpose of correspon-ding with European Union legislation, the new law about Turkish oc-cupational health and safety system was initiated in 2004 and it was completed in 2012 (no: 6331) (Ornek and Esin, 2015). So, occupational health and safety system has been re-organized according to the last oc-cupational health and safety Law (no: 6331). Occupational health and safety services mainly provided by two units which are called Workp-lace Health and safety units (WHSUs) and Joint health and safety units (JHSUs). WHSUs are located in companies which have more than 50 workers which has to be set by employers. The JHSUs are independent units and covers all companies’ workers which has more than 50 wor-kers (Development of Legislation and Publishing General Directorate. Legislation Information System, 2012). However, there have been some new regulations on base of public’s needs. According to that, the mi-nister of Labor and Security and the minister of health work in coope- 26 Ozlem Koseoglu Ornek (on the left) and the chef of the garment department where Ozlem did her phd research. Työterveyshoitaja 4/16
Tyoterveyshoitaja | 2016 No4
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