Doctors’ union: Occupational illnesses and long hours must be a priority

The Cyprus Turkish Medical Association (KTTB) said workplace safety measures should not focus solely on physical accidents, and called for occupational illnesses, long working hours and conditions affecting employees’ mental health to be addressed as priorities. The association called for regulations allowing occupational physicians to work independently of employers.

A statement issued on behalf of the KTTB’s Occupational Health and Workplace Medicine Working Group, and signed by Dr Figen Gülen İnce and Dr Minel Özen, stressed that occupational health and safety cannot be seen as limited to paperwork and inspection processes. The statement shared assessments relating to a symposium organised by the Risk Management Association at Çukurova University on 16–17 October 2026.

Long working hours and hidden risks

According to estimates from the International Labour Organization (ILO) cited by the association, around 2.6 million of the 2.93 million work-related deaths worldwide in 2019 were linked to illnesses, while 330,000 were linked to workplace accidents. The KTTB said working 55 hours or more a week poses significant health risks.

The association said chronic lung diseases, stroke and ischaemic heart disease were among the leading causes of work-related deaths, and called for greater monitoring of noise-related hearing problems, respiratory diseases and musculoskeletal disorders.

The statement also identified burnout, work-related stress, excessive workloads and digital fatigue as occupational safety concerns. Remote and hybrid work, pressure from digital surveillance, human–robot interaction and the right to disconnect from digital communications outside working hours were listed as issues for the new era.

Call for physician independence and ongoing inspections

The KTTB said occupational illnesses must be prevented as well as diagnosed. Warning that a diagnosis of an occupational illness could increase the risk of an employee losing their job, it called for regulations to ensure occupational physicians can work independently.

Addressing disaster and fire safety, the association said risk assessments should be updated throughout the working period, the hazards of long shifts should be controlled and teams should include safety officers. It proposed establishing a Fire Safety Directorate, a Fire Safety Council and regional safety centres within the Ministry of the Interior. It also called for buildings to be inspected not only at the licensing stage but throughout their period of use.

The working group stressed that workplace accidents and occupational illnesses are preventable, and called for a safety culture to be applied at every stage of work.