Health and Safety at Okkaoğlu Group: People First, Working Toward Zero Accidents

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For me, the most meaningful measure of a successful working day is simple: our colleagues complete their tasks safely and return home to their families in good health.

Production figures, completed projects and a growing equipment fleet all matter to a business. But none of them can justify compromising the people who make that progress possible.

At Okkaoğlu Group, this belief shapes our approach to occupational health and safety across mining, construction, manufacturing and heavy industry. Compliance matters, but our responsibility extends beyond formal requirements. We want safety to be part of how work is planned, how decisions are made and how people look after one another.

Our ambition is zero accidents. Working toward that goal requires practical precautions, consistent attention and a willingness to keep learning.

Safety Starts Before the Work Does

A safe operation begins well before a machine starts or a task gets underway.

Understanding the job, assessing the working area, checking equipment, arranging the necessary work permits and briefing the people involved are important parts of preparation. These steps help establish a shared understanding of what needs to be done, what could go wrong and which precautions are required.

The setting may change from a mining site to a construction project or a production facility. The principle does not: safety comes before production.

No output target, project deadline or operational gain is more important than a human life.

Recognizing Hazards Before They Cause Harm

Prevention means acting while there is still an opportunity to avoid an incident.

Our approach brings together several complementary practices:

• Risk assessments that identify hazards and the controls needed.

• Daily site checks that keep attention on working conditions.

• Machinery and equipment inspections.

• Permit-to-work procedures for tasks requiring formal authorization.

• Near-miss reporting and review.

• Regular occupational health and safety training.

The value of these practices lies in what happens next. A concern must be assessed, the necessary action taken and the lesson carried into future work.

A near miss deserves attention even when nobody has been injured. It can reveal a weakness that would otherwise remain unnoticed. Treating that information seriously is an important part of building a stronger safety culture.

Safe Equipment and Competent Operators Belong Together

Excavators, trucks, loaders, crushers and other heavy equipment play an important role in our operations. Their capacity brings opportunities, but it also brings responsibility.

Modern machinery alone does not create a safe working environment. Safe operation depends on the right equipment for the task, regular maintenance, competent operators, sound site planning and disciplined working practices.

That is why we regard periodic inspections, maintenance processes and operator training as essential parts of our safety approach.

Investment in equipment and investment in people must support one another. A machine’s capabilities are only one part of the picture; the way it is inspected, operated and managed matters just as much.

Training Must Carry Through to Everyday Work

We see the development of our employees’ knowledge and skills as a long-term investment.

Safety training should do more than satisfy an attendance requirement. It should help people understand the hazards connected to their work and the reasons behind the precautions they are expected to take.

Toolbox talks, task-specific briefings, near-miss reviews and the sharing of practical experience help connect formal learning with everyday conditions on site.

We also encourage employees to participate in these conversations. Questions, observations and lessons from colleagues can turn a general rule into something a team understands and applies.

A lasting safety culture grows through awareness and shared understanding, not through written rules alone.

Shared Responsibility Requires Visible Leadership

Occupational health and safety cannot sit with the safety department alone.

Senior management, site supervisors, operators and every other employee have a part to play. Leadership must support safe working practices through its decisions and priorities, while teams need the confidence to raise concerns.

We encourage colleagues to report hazards, alert one another to risks and stop work when conditions are unsafe.

Our zero-accident ambition should strengthen that openness, never discourage it. Reporting a problem is an opportunity to prevent harm and improve the way work is organized.

The culture we want is one in which looking after a colleague is understood as a responsibility, and speaking up is recognized as a positive contribution.

A Stronger Future Begins with People

As Okkaoğlu Group develops, we continue to bring together our sector experience, new technologies and modern working methods.

Our machinery, infrastructure and production capacity are important investments. Equally important are the people whose skills and commitment make those investments productive—and the conditions in which they work.

Respect for people, safe operations, environmental responsibility and long-term sustainability belong within the same approach to growth.

For me, that commitment always returns to the same point: every person who starts a working day deserves to finish it safely and return home well.

That is the future we aim to build across Okkaoğlu Group.

Mert Okkaoğlu

Board Member, Okkaoğlu Group

Safe Work. A Stronger Future. Sustainable Success.