Why Construction Labor Safety Is Now a Due Diligence Line Item
Russian investors entering Türkiye's construction and development sector, whether as direct developers, joint venture partners, or buyers of pre-completion assets, increasingly ask about return on capital and delivery timelines. Fewer ask about occupational health and safety (OHS) compliance on the job site itself. That is a gap worth closing, because labor safety performance in Türkiye is now directly tied to project risk, insurance cost, and legal exposure in ways that were less formalized a decade ago.
Türkiye's Occupational Health and Safety Law (No. 6331) classifies construction as a "very hazardous" (çok tehlikeli) sector, which triggers the strictest tier of regulatory obligations. Any site above a minimum size threshold must retain a certified OHS specialist, a workplace physician, and maintain a documented risk assessment updated on a defined cycle. For a Russian investor funding or co-developing a project, these are not paperwork formalities. They are conditions that affect insurance premiums, contractor liability, and, in the event of an incident, the personal criminal liability of site management and, in some structures, the employer entity itself.
Contractor Vetting : The single most effective safety control available to an investor is contractor selection. Before signing, request the contractor's OHS incident history, its SGK (social security) registration record for site workers, and evidence of an active risk assessment plan for the specific project type. Contractors who cannot produce a current risk assessment document, or who show gaps in worker SGK registration, present a materially higher risk profile regardless of their pricing or schedule promises.
Subcontractor Chain Exposure : Türkiye's construction sector relies heavily on subcontracting, and safety liability does not stop at the main contractor. Where a subcontractor's uninsured or unregistered labor is involved in an incident, the principal contractor and, depending on contract structure, the project owner can face joint liability claims. Investors should require, as a contract condition, that the main contractor disclose and pre-approve its subcontractor list along with each subcontractor's SGK compliance status.
Insurance and Financing Interplay : Lenders and insurers active in Türkiye increasingly price construction-phase risk based on documented safety systems rather than contractor reputation alone. A project with a certified safety management plan, regular third-party site audits, and a clean incident record will typically secure more favorable all-risk construction insurance terms. For an investor structuring project finance, this is a quantifiable cost line, not an abstract compliance concern.
Documentation That Should Accompany Any Site Visit : Before committing capital, an investor or their advisor should be able to review the site's risk assessment report, emergency action plan, and OHS board meeting minutes if the workforce size requires a formal board. These documents are public-adjacent in the sense that labor inspectors can request them at any time, and a well-run contractor will produce them without hesitation. Reluctance to share this documentation is itself a signal worth weighing.
Practical Sequencing for Foreign Investors : Safety due diligence works best when it runs parallel to, not after, commercial due diligence. Build a site safety review into the same due diligence window used for title, zoning, and financial checks on the developer. This avoids a scenario where commercial terms are agreed before a safety or labor-compliance issue surfaces late and forces renegotiation or delay.
Russian investors accustomed to different regulatory regimes should treat Turkish OHS compliance as a standard, verifiable part of construction risk management, not an ancillary concern. A modest amount of upfront diligence on contractor safety records and documentation typically prevents far larger cost and schedule exposure later in the build cycle.
Eurasia Experts advises international investors and developers on construction risk, contractor selection, and project oversight across Türkiye's real estate and development markets.