Must Employers Provide Safety Shoes?

1. When must an employer provide safety shoes?

Under the Regulation on the Use of Personal Protective Equipment in the Workplace in Türkiye, the process works as follows:

• Risk assessment: The employer determines the PPE to be used based on the results of the risk assessment (Art. 7).
• Priority of collective protection: PPE is used where risks cannot be prevented or sufficiently limited by collective protection measures (Art. 5 and Art. 8).
• Provided free of charge: PPE is provided free of charge by the employer; its maintenance, repair and periodic inspection are carried out in line with the user instructions (Art. 6/1-e).
• Information and training: The employer explains which risks the PPE protects against and ensures training on its use is provided (Art. 6/1-f, g).

Annex 3 of the Regulation lists examples of work where safety footwear may be required: structural and foundation work, work on scaffolding, work on construction sites and in warehouses, roofing work, transport and storage work, renovation and maintenance work, and work with frozen meat. The list also covers "similar work"; to see all the PPE for your type of work, you can use

2. Is it mandatory to provide workwear?

The distinction matters here:

3. How often should safety shoes and workwear be provided?

The PPE Regulation does not specify a set number of months or years. Instead:

• The conditions of use, and in particular the period of use, are determined taking into account the level of risk, frequency of exposure, characteristics of the workplace and the performance of the PPE (Art. 6/1-c).
• PPE must always be in effective working order, replaced with new equipment when necessary and checked before each use (Art. 8/3).
• Defective PPE must not be used until the defect has been rectified and it has been inspected (Art. 8/3).

The replacement schedule is therefore set in the workplace risk assessment and according to the service-life information in the manufacturer's user instructions. For safety helmets, for example, manufacturers state specific periods:

4. Employee obligations

• Use, look after and store the PPE provided correctly (PPE Reg. Art. 8/2; Law 6331 Art. 19/2-b).
• Report any defect or shortcoming in the PPE to the employer (Art. 8/3).
• Immediately inform the employer or employee representative of any serious and imminent danger or shortcoming in protective measures (Law 6331 Art. 19/2-c).

5. Can the cost of PPE be deducted from wages?

The PPE Regulation states that PPE is to be provided free of charge (Art. 6/1-e), and Law No. 6331 states that the cost of occupational health and safety measures cannot be passed on to employees (Art. 4/4). Clauses such as "the cost will be deducted from wages" found in some sample issue forms may conflict with these provisions. For special cases such as loss or deliberate damage, consult your legal adviser.

6. How should you document the handover?

The legislation does not prescribe a mandatory form called an "issue record"; however, a handover record is commonly kept to document that the PPE was issued free of charge and that the employee was informed. With our free

FAQ

Must employers provide safety shoes?

Yes, if the risk assessment requires safety shoes; PPE is provided free of charge by the employer (PPE Regulation, Art. 6/1-e and Art. 7).

How often is workwear provided per year?

The legislation sets no fixed number. PPE that qualifies as protective clothing is replaced when necessary (Art. 8/3); for ordinary workwear, the employment contract or workplace practice applies.

How often are safety shoes provided?

There is no set number of months. The period of use is determined by the risk, frequency of exposure, working environment and the performance of the shoes (Art. 6/1-c); damaged shoes are replaced.

Is wearing safety shoes mandatory?

If the employer has identified safety shoes as necessary in the risk assessment and has issued them, the employee is obliged to use this equipment correctly (PPE Regulation, Art. 8/2; Law No. 6331, Art. 19).

Does the employer pay for corporate clothing?

Corporate clothing with no protective function is not covered by the PPE Regulation (Art. 2/2-a); in this case, the employment contract and workplace practice apply.

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