Health&Safety Policy

As part of its mission and principles, the Özyeğin University Çekmeköy Campus Facilities endeavor to ensure the physical and psychological well-being and occupational safety of its faculty, staff, students, visitors, on-campus businesses/lessees, neighbors, all affiliated subcontractors and all suppliers. To this end, the Özyeğin University Çekmeköy Campus Facilities take every possible measure, satisfy all the requirements, and provide all the necessary means and resources. In resource planning, priority is given to the prevention of any health problems and the continuous improvement of occupational health and safety performance. 

Özyeğin University strives to carefully analyze any potential Occupational Health and Safety risk in all its activities to bring them to acceptable levels, turn them into opportunities, and ensure compliance with the requirements imposed by internal and external authorities to this end. Özyeğin University guarantees that it will prevent occupational injuries and impairment of health by providing healthy and safe working conditions, encouraging consultation to and participation of employees and employee representatives, adhering to effective legislations, fulfilling compliance requirements, being a leader in occupational health and safety with its recognized best management practices, and continuously improving the Occupational Health and Safety Management System to increase the occupational health and safety performance. 

Özyeğin University senior management guarantees that they will duly fulfill all of its commitments, take the lead for the Occupational Health and Safety Management System, and ensure quality assurance for all of these processes. 

Occupational Health and Safety Culture 

The health and safety management system at Özyeğin University is designed to be easily adopted by students, faculty, and staff, and made an integral part of their lives. 

Özyeğin University accepts and acknowledges that the health and safety culture is a key element of its organizational culture. Hence, it is the primary responsibility of all academic and administrative managers to create and develop a mutual understanding, shared beliefs, habits, and values among all stakeholders and prevent any harm to public health while all the time maintaining the confidentiality of personal data. 

The health and safety culture of Özyeğin University is grounded on encouraging all stakeholders to safely share and exchange knowledge about both occupational and general health and safety, and ensuring that all individuals can effectively distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behavior; always question and target for excellence, and take personal responsibility and accountability for all their actions. 

Özyeğin University promotes and supports organizing training sessions, seminars, events and similar other activities to improve its health and safety culture. 

Proactive Approach and Threat Reporting 

Özyeğin University focuses on the prevention of incidents and accidents; or when that’s not possible, minimizing their impact. To that end, all threats, close calls and incidents are effectively monitored and reported; and the necessary actions are taken based on the evaluation and analysis of collected data. 

Reactive, proactive and preventive approaches are adopted for risk management. Visitors, students, faculty, staff, and subcontractors constitute the key stakeholders of the risk identification and analysis process. Communication channels are created and effectively managed to enable all faculty, staff, students and even visitors and subcontractors to report any close calls, threats, risky situations, or incidents they have experienced or witnessed. 

Risk Management 

In all on-campus facilities, or new construction, maintenance, and repair projects, or academic activities, or any events in which Özyeğin University is involved, the occupational health and safety risks are identified for all stakeholders, from the early planning to the completion stage in order to minimize risks at Özyeğin University.   

All precautions for risk identification and minimizations are planned in compliance with the effective laws and legislations as well as the risk management hierarchy. 

In selecting materials, equipment and systems, safer options that pose minimal risks are preferred. The efficiency of the threat detection and risk management activities is evaluated through checks, tests, monitoring and assessment activities. Where necessary, additional precautions and measures are also put in place. 

Communication and Awareness Management 

Özyeğin University builds the necessary structure to share with and obtain insights from its stakeholders to understand and manage the impact of its activities on its stakeholders. This also entails notification of the relevant parties and taking the necessary actions based on a careful analysis of the feedbacks received.  

Özyeğin University also offers training to make sure that all students, faculty, staff, and subcontractors are aware of their own roles and responsibilities for the effective execution of the University’s health and safety management system. Furthermore, public awareness is raised through campaigns, posters, and brochures. 

Health Protection 

Özyeğin University endeavors to protect the health of its members. Therefore, in all on-campus facilities, academic activities, or any events in which Özyeğin University is involved, all potential health threats and risks are identified for all stakeholders, from the early planning  till the completion stage.   

The University also identifies and announces a set of hygiene and health guidelines and rules. All OzU stakeholders must observe these guidelines and rules. 

In selection of materials, equipment, systems, and chemicals, safer options that pose minimal health risk are preferred. Stakeholders, in particular those at risk, are required to undergo medical examinations regularly to protect their health.   Medical information is collected and analyzed to take preventive measures. 

Public health threat scenarios are created and studied within the scope of emergency management. 

Sustainability and Change Management 

Prior to implementing any changes that might affect the current processes and services, Özyeğin University will examine their potential impact on health and safety; and take the necessary actions due diligently. The University will set out and implement a list of rules to review or replace, or terminate any risk controls that are no longer needed or that have become ineffective due to any changes to its operation, location and activities. To this end, it will be ensured that the health and safety management system is rational and practical, continuously evolving and developing to incorporate the latest global and technological developments.  

Monitoring and Improvement of Health and Safety Performance 

Özyeğin University continuously develops and monitors its key performance indicators to keep track of and improve the performance of its health and safety management system. To that end, careful attention is paid to select objective and guiding indicators. 

Reviews and Audits 

Compliance with the rules and guidelines in place is systematically reviewed and audited. Such reviews and audits are conducted by the authorized personnel and the results are objectively recorded and evaluated. Following the reviews and audits, the necessary actions are taken with due diligence to resolve any identified issues or to achieve the set goals.