A warehouse worker gets pinned under a forklift. A truck driver dozes off at the wheel at the end of a 14-hour shift. A worker on a packing line can no longer come to work after being diagnosed with a herniated disc three years later. None of these scenarios are fiction — in Turkey, logistics and transportation is the second most common sector for fatal workplace accidents, right after construction.
If you're reading this, chances are you run a logistics company, are responsible for a fleet or a warehouse, or have been tasked with setting up OHS processes. This guide won't give you a theoretical summary of regulations. Instead, we've brought together the real risks specific to logistics operations, the technological tools of 2026, and concrete steps you can start applying tomorrow.
Logistics has a risk profile different from most manufacturing sectors. Your employees aren't confined to a single fixed facility — they move simultaneously across roads, warehouses, ports, and customer sites. This scattered structure makes oversight and standardized practice much harder.
The numbers confirm this picture. Every year, Turkey's transportation sector ranks among the highest in accidents resulting in work incapacity, and comes second only to construction in fatal accidents. Globally, according to the International Labour Organization's (ILO) November 2023 report, roughly 3 million workers die every year from work-related accidents and diseases — 2.6 million from occupational diseases and 330,000 directly from workplace accidents. On top of that, 395 million workers suffer a workplace injury every year. (https://www.ilo.org/resource/news/nearly-3-million-people-die-work-related-accidents-and-diseases)
What this means for you is simple: in logistics, OHS isn't a "compliance checkbox" — it's a risk management issue that directly affects your operational continuity. A forklift accident doesn't just affect one worker; it affects the entire shift, your shipping schedule, and your insurance premiums.
Operational disruption: The investigation process after an accident can halt a warehouse or line for days.
Insurance and compensation costs: Companies with a high frequency of workplace accidents face rising premiums.
Reputation and client loss: Corporate clients in particular now require OHS certifications (such as ISO 45001) as a condition for selecting suppliers.
Employee turnover: An unsafe working environment drives high staff turnover, especially among warehouse workers and drivers.
Before building your OHS strategy, you need to clearly identify the hazards you're dealing with. The risk categories below account for the vast majority of accident data in the sector.
Indoor material handling equipment is the most common source of injury in logistics. Collisions, tip-overs, and accidents caused by limited visibility are the most frequent in this category. Because of its importance, we cover pedestrian-related risk separately below.
According to the İSİG Council's report on the first six months of 2024, traffic and commuting accidents stand out as one of the most common causes of workplace accidents. Long working hours directly increase driver fatigue and the associated accident risk.
Manual lifting, repetitive movements, and improper lifting techniques are the leading causes of acute back and spinal injuries. We detail separately the risk of these injuries turning into chronic occupational disease over time.
Dock slippage, unclear separation between the vehicle and the dock, and failures in securing (wheel chocks/dock locks) can cause serious injuries, particularly in dock areas. This risk is distinct from the falling-object risk caused by height in storage areas, discussed below — here the issue is how the vehicle is positioned and secured at the dock.
Transporting ADR-regulated loads without proper training and equipment carries high risk for both worker and environmental health.
Falls from platforms or ladders during stocking and picking operations on warehouse racking make up a significant share of serious injuries in the sector.
Forklifts, conveyors, and stacking machines that aren't regularly maintained are a primary cause of preventable equipment-failure accidents.
Oil or water spills on warehouse floors, scattered packaging materials, and disorganized loading platforms make up the most common — yet often underestimated — type of accident in the sector. Floor safety markings, non-slip surface coatings, and regular floor inspections significantly reduce this risk.
The intersection of vehicle traffic and pedestrian movement in the same warehouse or site area is the real cause behind a large share of forklift accidents. An effective pedestrian safety approach includes:
Unlike the vehicle-securing issues at the loading dock, this risk arises during storage and picking. Exceeding stacking height capacity, misplacing products on shelving, or compromised pallet integrity leads to injuries from objects falling off racking. In these areas, workers should wear hard hats, and shelf-loading limits should be inspected regularly.
Given Turkey's seismic location, this is a risk that's often overlooked in warehouse OHS planning but remains critical. If industrial racking systems aren't anchored to the floor, an earthquake can topple the racks, causing a "domino effect" that brings down adjacent rows as well. Preventive measures include rack anchoring, horizontal seismic bracing, and periodic structural inspection of tall racking systems.
Some of the risks above lead to sudden accidents, while others accumulate over time into occupational diseases. This distinction matters for your health surveillance planning, since the prevention strategy differs.
Whole-body vibration from repetitive lifting and prolonged vehicle operation can, over time, develop into lower back and neck herniation. Including ergonomic assessment in periodic medical checkups improves the chances of early diagnosis.
Repetitive hand and arm movements from operating forklifts and palletizing equipment can lead to chronic conditions such as hand-arm vibration syndrome and tendinitis.
Prolonged exposure to the constant noise of forklift engines, conveyor lines, and generators can cause permanent hearing loss. Periodic audiometry testing is the most reliable way to track this risk in workplaces classified as hazardous.
Using LPG or diesel forklifts in enclosed warehouses increases exposure to exhaust fumes; in dry cargo, grain, or cement warehouses, dust exposure creates the conditions for respiratory disease.
Long working hours, night driving, and irregular shift scheduling lead to chronic fatigue and circadian rhythm disruption in drivers. This affects not just health but also directly raises the risk of traffic accidents.
Once an occupational disease is diagnosed, under Article 14 of Law No. 6331, the employer is required to report it to the Social Security Institution within three working days of becoming aware of it.
Warehouse fires are among the costliest risks in the logistics sector, both in terms of life safety and inventory loss. An effective fire safety approach covers five elements.
Segregating flammable and explosive materials: These materials must be physically separated from other stock and stored according to safety data sheets (SDS).
Lithium battery fires: Lithium-ion batteries in e-commerce returns and electronic shipments can suddenly ignite due to thermal runaway if damaged. Such products require a separate, well-ventilated storage area and a dedicated extinguishing procedure.
Fire detection systems: Smoke and heat detectors should be positioned according to warehouse height and shelving density, and tested regularly.
Emergency plans: Evacuation routes, assembly points, and regular fire drills ensure the plan doesn't stay on paper.
Extinguishing equipment: Fire extinguishers of the appropriate class (A/B/C/D) for the materials stored, along with sprinkler systems where needed, should be in place.
Lead-acid batteries used in forklifts and stacking machines release hydrogen gas while charging, which is why forced ventilation is mandatory in charging areas. For businesses looking to manage this risk more rigorously:
Most of the risks listed above can be significantly reduced through proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE). The core PPE set for logistics operations is as follows:
Hard hat: Against falling objects in racking and loading areas. Reflective vest: To increase visibility in areas with forklift and vehicle traffic. Work boots: Toe-protected and non-slip soles, for warehouse floor risks. Anti-static footwear: To prevent static electricity buildup in battery charging areas and chemical storage zones. Gloves: Types resistant to cuts, chemicals, or electric shock, depending on the task. Safety glasses: In areas with chemical splash or dust risk. Hearing protection: In sections with high forklift and conveyor noise. Seatbelt: For forklift operators — a frequently overlooked piece of PPE that keeps the operator secured in the cabin during a tip-over.
Specialized equipment used beyond standard forklifts carries its own distinct risk profile and should be addressed separately in your operational safety plan.
Reach trucks and VNA forklifts, used to access high racking systems, have a more limited field of view compared to standard forklifts. Dedicated certified operator training and, generally, automatic speed-limiting systems are recommended for this equipment.
Broken or cracked pallets can cause sudden load shifting during transport. Regular inspection of pallet integrity, not exceeding maximum load capacity, and standardizing stacking arrangements significantly reduce this risk.
Some of the risks affecting worker health aren't directly related to accidents or equipment, but to the physical conditions of the warehouse environment.
In summer, staff working inside closed trucks and containers in particular face heat stress risk; in cold-chain warehouses, prolonged exposure to cold presents a separate risk. Alongside proper ventilation and climate control systems, working time in hot or cold environments should be limited, and regular warming/rest breaks should be scheduled.
Warehouse housekeeping directly reduces the slip-trip-fall risks mentioned above, yet it's often neglected. The 5S methodology (sort, set in order, shine, standardize, sustain) is a commonly used framework in this area. Regularly clearing waste and packaging materials, and keeping emergency exits and extinguishing equipment unobstructed at all times, form the foundation of this practice.
Law No. 6331 on Occupational Health and Safety covers all businesses regardless of employee count (Article 2). Under the NACE code, the logistics sector is generally classified as "hazardous" — for example, road freight transport (NACE 49.41) and warehousing and storage (NACE 52.10) activities fall into this category — which creates the following obligations for you:
Risk assessment: Must be carried out and updated at regular intervals (at least every 4 years for hazardous-class workplaces, though annual updates are recommended in practice).
OHS specialist and workplace physician: Depending on your employee count and hazard class, services must be obtained on-site or through a Joint Health and Safety Unit (OSGB).
Emergency plans: Drills are mandatory for scenarios such as warehouse fires, chemical spills, and earthquakes.
Training records: Certifications such as forklift operator licenses and ADR driver certificates must be tracked for validity.
In addition, ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management System) certification has moved from being a competitive advantage to a prerequisite in many tenders — especially for logistics companies that export or work with corporate clients.
Industry reports show that AI use in logistics is concentrated around five main areas: generative AI, AI ethics, voice AI, computer vision, and advanced analytics. A significant portion of these is becoming directly applicable to OHS.
Camera-based systems can analyze a driver's blink frequency and behavior patterns at the wheel to warn instantly of fatigue or distraction. These systems are now becoming affordable even for mid-sized fleets.
Wearable sensors for warehouse workers can detect improper lifting posture, excessive fatigue, or approach to a hazardous zone in real time.
Sensors mounted on vehicles and equipment let you remotely monitor speed, harsh braking, sudden maneuvers, and maintenance needs. This data shows concretely which driver or which route carries more risk.
Academic studies show that AI-supported risk management systems can significantly reduce the impact of supply chain disruptions. Early warning signals increase your chances of intervening before an accident happens.
Paper-based risk assessment forms are being replaced by digital systems that can be filled out instantly via mobile, with photos and location data attached. This makes tracking much easier, especially for companies with multiple branches or warehouse sites.
Consider an Ankara-based road transport company with a fleet of 45 vehicles and 2 warehouse locations. After three consecutive forklift accidents and one traffic accident, the company faces a marked increase in its insurance premium.
The root cause analysis reveals the following:
|
Problem Area |
Root Cause Identified |
|
Forklift accidents |
Operator training certificates had expired; no pedestrian-vehicle separation in place |
|
Traffic accident |
Drivers exceeded legal working-hour limits; no rest tracking in place |
|
Unreported injuries |
Employees avoided reporting minor incidents |
Over six months, the company implements the following: floor markings and physical pedestrian barriers are added, driver working-hour tracking is digitized, and the "incident reporting" process is made anonymous. The result: the recorded number of accidents drops markedly compared to the previous period, and this data can be used directly in insurance renewal negotiations.
This example shows something important: more often than not, it's simple process and behavioral changes — not a large technology investment — that make the biggest difference.
You can apply the steps below regardless of your company's size.
If your budget is limited, prioritize process and behavioral change. Treat the OHS service obtained through a Joint Health and Safety Unit (OSGB) as an active advisory relationship rather than a passive obligation. Free digital forms and simple Excel-based risk tracking sheets can be enough at the initial stage.
As scale grows, manual tracking becomes unsustainable. At this point, investing in centralized OHS management software, a fleet telematics system, and branch-level comparative reporting becomes a priority. The ISO 45001 certification process becomes a competitive advantage, especially in winning corporate clients.
Some resources you can use to strengthen your OHS process without allocating a budget:
Adding the following visual formats when preparing this content for publication will improve readability and shareability:
OHS in the logistics sector isn't a one-time regulatory compliance task — it's a continuously updated discipline of risk management. As you've seen in this article, the biggest impact usually comes not from expensive technology, but from simple, data-driven process changes.
The most concrete step you can take today is this: pull your accident and near-miss records from the last 12 months, identify the three most recurring risks, and write an actionable plan for those three risks that you can implement within two weeks. Major transformation usually follows from this kind of small, clear start.
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