ABSTRACT

The study aims to make an in-depth analysis of the approaches of occupational safety specialists working by the JHSU Joint Health and Safety Unit system to occupational safety practice. Following this purpose, a qualitative research design was employed in the present study, and the data were collected using a semi-structured interview form. The research was conducted with 14 participants working in JHSUs in Bandirma and Gonen districts of Balikersir province in February 2020. The interviews, which lasted for an average of 25 minutes, were recorded with a voice recorder and then transcribed to text. The collected data were analyzed with the content analysis method. The results revealed that occupational safety specialists had diverse conceptualizations about the practice, regarded specialization training as problematic in many ways, and experienced severe problems both in terms of the marketization of the practice and occupational safety. In addition, it was found that the contractual relationship between JHSU and the employer harmed their autonomy, and this kind of business relationship led to employer intervention. It was also determined that they had different views on the time spent in the workplace. Finally, they stated that proper steps should be taken in terms of specialists, legislation, and employers to ensure the proper fulfillment of the profession