The launch of AAU's IOHS Project was held

The opening meeting of our project titled “Enhancing Safety and Security through Labour-Management Partnership”, implemented by our Association and funded by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and the European Union, has been successfully held.

The meeting began with opening remarks by Rector of Gazi University Prof. Dr. Musa Yıldız, Director General of Occupational Health and Safety of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security Cafer Uzunkaya, Chief Senior Advisor to the President of the Turkish Mine Workers Union Ertuğrul Ensar Bayrak, and our Association President Prof. Dr. Ismail Şahin. Following the speeches, Project Coordinator Dr. Tayfun Fındık provided detailed information about the project.

In his speech, Gazi University Rector Prof. Dr. Musa Yıldız emphasized that precaution is the key concept in occupational health and safety. He underlined that this project, launched through labour-management cooperation, is highly significant in terms of ensuring the participation of all stakeholders in building a culture of occupational health and safety. Stressing the importance of the project for Türkiye, particularly in light of mining accidents that have deeply affected the nation, Yıldız noted that as a university awarded with the “Safe Campus” certificate, they value raising awareness on work safety and view this project as an important initiative to further enhance this awareness.

Director General of Occupational Health and Safety Cafer Uzunkaya stated that it is meaningful that the project focuses on improving the safety culture in mines and reducing injury and fatality rates in mining accidents. He congratulated the Academicians Union Association for undertaking this project. Uzunkaya also emphasized that occupational health and safety is not solely the responsibility of the Ministry, but a matter concerning the entire country and all 84 million citizens, highlighting that it is a shared duty of all actors in working life.

Chief Senior Advisor to the President of the Turkish Mine Workers Union, Ertuğrul Ensar Bayrak, stressed the importance of strong cooperation and the further development of a safety culture in occupational health and safety.

Providing information about the association and its projects, Academicians Union Association President Prof. Dr. Ismail Şahin highlighted that Gazi University is the most important partner in the projects carried out by the Association. He stated that through this project titled “Enhancing Safety and Security through Labour-Management Partnership”, they aim to increase safety in the mining sector. Şahin expressed his gratitude to partner institutions Gazi University and Türk Enerji-Sen for their support, and emphasized that they regard the Mine-Workers Union as a natural stakeholder of the project.

Referring to TURKSTAT data indicating that the mining and quarrying sectors record the highest number of occupational accidents, Şahin stated that the project aims to raise awareness regarding mining accidents.

With the target group including underground and surface mine workers, mining engineers, mining engineering students, and public inspectors and specialists, the “Enhancing Safety and Security through Labour-Management Partnership Project” aims to improve safety culture in mines and reduce injury and fatality rates in mining accidents. The opening meeting concluded with the hope that maximum effort will be devoted to achieving the project’s objectives and ensuring broad dissemination of its outputs.