Taking occupational health and safety measures is, first and foremost, a fundamental right of the individual. It is extremely important to ensure that individuals work in an environment free from occupational hazards. With the enacted Law, it has become mandatory for public institutions to employ specialists and other personnel in the field of occupational health and safety. Graduates who complete this 2-year associate degree program can transfer to the 4-year Social Services bachelor's program through the Vertical Transfer Exam (DGS) administered by ÖSYM.
There are many facilities in our region, especially in Organized Industrial Zones, such as machinery, food, plastics, forest products, chemical industry, ceramics, casting, automotive supply industry, textile, furniture, and metal industries. Program graduates can work in institutions, organizations, and businesses in all branches of industry.
They can work as "Occupational Health and Safety Technicians" in sectors such as the building and construction sector, machinery manufacturing industry, heavy industry, casting, plastics, glass, paper-cardboard, metal manufacturing, food, textile, automotive, cement, mining and coal industries, private health institutions, private airline companies, and in public institutions such as the Social Security Institution, Civil Defense, State Railways, Highways, State Hydraulic Works, Health institutions, Electricity institution, and Directorates of Forestry. With recent legislative changes, the path has been opened for occupational health and safety technicians to become "Occupational Safety Specialists" if they succeed in the exam after certification training.
When the preferability of this program in other universities is examined, it is seen that the occupancy rate is 100%. In the Occupational Health and Safety law, graduates of university Occupational Health and Safety programs are defined as "Technical Personnel."
The aim is to train occupational safety technicians who can protect employees from occupational accidents and diseases by minimizing risks in the work environment; ensure production safety, enabling the maximum efficient use of time and personal performance; conduct safety audits of all kinds of tools, equipment, and machinery used in workplaces, as well as other elements that pose risks to building safety; ensure the safety of the worker and the work environment, as well as maintaining the workplace surroundings as safe areas; and who are proficient in national/international legislation, and possess professional ethics and an awareness of lifelong learning. The educational aims and objectives of the program are given below:
EA1. To follow and interpret legal regulations on occupational health and safety
EA2. To act in accordance with professional ethical rules,
EA3. To take all necessary measures to ensure occupational safety in an enterprise,
EA4. To be able to conduct a risk analysis of the institution they work for and take necessary measures to prevent risks,
EA5. To raise individuals who are sensitive to current events and follow developments in occupational health and safety,
The duration of education is 2 years. A total of 56 weeks of education and training is provided over 4 semesters, each lasting 14 weeks. Additionally, each student has a 20-day mandatory internship.
Students who successfully complete the Occupational Health and Safety associate degree program can transfer to the following university departments via the Vertical Transfer Exam (DGS):
Emergency Aid and Disaster Management
Business Administration
Business Management
Health Management
Social Work
