What OSH training must employers provide to workers in Turkmenistan?

Every worker, including the head of the enterprise, must be trained in labour protection and have the knowledge tested, at the employer's expense. New and transferred workers receive a labour protection briefing and training in safe work methods and first aid; people starting harmful or hazardous work also need on-the-job training and an examination, then periodic training. Nobody who has not been trained, briefed and tested may be admitted to work (Labour Code Articles 178, 193 and 194).

Short answer

• Who: all workers of the enterprise, including its head (Article 194(1)).
• **Briefings (инструктаж, Turkmen gözükdirme):** on safety, industrial sanitation, fire protection and other labour protection rules (Article 193(1)); for every new and transferred worker (Article 194(2)).
• Training: safe methods and techniques of work and first aid (Articles 178(6) and 194(2)).
• Harmful or hazardous work: training with on-the-job training (стажировка) and an examination before starting, then periodic training and knowledge testing (Article 194(3)).
• Ban: admitting untrained, unbriefed or untested people to work is prohibited (Articles 178(7) and 193(3)).
• Cost: borne by the employer (Article 173(5)).
• Hazardous production facilities: additional training and attestation in industrial safety, and training in actions during an accident (Industrial Safety Law Articles 10 and 11).
• Intervals: not set in the Code; they come from sector rules, the enterprise programme and, for hazardous facilities, industrial safety rules.

Who delivers the training

The labour protection specialist (engineer), required in production enterprises with more than 50 workers, gives the introductory briefing (giriş gözükdirmesi) to new workers, trainees and students and organises the testing of their knowledge, and prepares the plan for training workers (model job description approved by Order No. 106-Ö of 30 November 2012). Workplace briefings are normally given by the line manager. Ministries and agencies organise the labour protection training of managers and specialists of their enterprises (Article 183(3)). The same order provides for a labour protection room or corner where training material is kept.

Training must be backed by labour protection instructions for each job, which the employer approves taking account of the trade union's opinion (Article 178(20)), and by giving workers the safety documents relevant to their workplace (Article 178(19)).

A practical training plan

The briefing types in the table follow the usual practice in CIS countries; the Code itself only names briefing, training, on-the-job training and knowledge testing, so align the names and intervals with the sector rules your client or ministry applies.

Common mistakes

• Training only workers. Managers and the head of the enterprise must also be trained and tested.
• No record of testing. Article 178 makes knowledge testing an explicit duty; keep signed records.
• Assuming home-country certificates are enough. Foreign training may help, but the briefing on the site's own rules and the knowledge testing required by the Code are still needed.

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Standards and further reading

• Labour Code of Turkmenistan, Law No. 29-IV of 18 April 2009, Articles 173, 178, 183, 193, 194 (FAOLEX consolidated Russian translation): https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/tuk243144.pdf
• Order No. 106-Ö of the Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population, 30 November 2012: https://mlsp.gov.tm/storage/file/8781b287d49dadcbdc0b4a98d2fe77ae.pdf
• Law No. 495-V on Industrial Safety of Hazardous Production Facilities, 4 February 2017, Articles 10 and 11: https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/tuk184581.pdf

This article is general occupational safety and health information prepared by the excodex editorial team. It does not replace the applicable legislation, standards, manufacturers' instructions or the assessment of a competent OSH professional or occupational physician.