When occupational health and safety is discussed in Türkiye, the focus is often on questions like "what did the expert do?", "is there an OJHS report?", "was training provided?". However, in the field, the real breaking point often occurs elsewhere: in the attitude of the employer, that is, the boss. Because the OHS system is not just a technical discipline; it is also management culture. Management culture is a way of making decisions. Unless the way of making decisions changes, even if OHS documents change, risks in the field often remain the same.

Many bosses in Türkiye don't not know the risk; they know. The foreman knows, the supervisor knows, the production manager knows, and the boss knows. In fact, most of the time, the boss knows the risk as genuinely as an expert. Because they have seen the field for years and experienced the realities of the sector. However, despite this, some risks are constantly postponed, some deficiencies become chronic, and some non-conformities are normalized at a "good enough" level. This picture appears as "negligence" from the outside. But what is seen in the field is often more complex: the boss ignoring the risk stems not from unconsciousness but from a management reflex born from Türkiye's business dynamics.

This article analyzes why bosses in Türkiye often don't take action despite knowing the risk; the psychological and economic mechanisms underlying this; how this approach produces costs for the business; and in which framework real transformation in OHS is possible from the boss's perspective.

First of all, the boss "ignoring" the risk is often not in the form of direct denial. The boss knows the risk exists but does not see the risk as "on the agenda right now." The main reason for this is that the agenda structure of business in Türkiye is very harsh. Cash flow, collection, meeting orders, energy costs, labor finding problems, subcontractor management, tax burden, insurance burden... These pressures keep the boss's mind constantly in firefighting mode. In such a mental environment, OHS only rises to the top "when an accident occurs" or "when inspection approaches." Risks fall behind in the agenda competition.

Another reason for this situation is that risk is an "invisible cost." From the boss's perspective, the cost of stopping the production line is visible; because production drops that day, orders are delayed, customer pressure comes. However, the cost of risk appears uncertain; because as long as the risk doesn't materialize, it remains on paper. This is the most important psychological barrier making it difficult for employers in Türkiye to invest in OHS: comparing certain cost with probability cost. The boss sees what is certain, and feels they can postpone the probability. But the reality in the field is this: risk is not a probability, it is a cost with uncertain timing. If it doesn't happen today, it will happen tomorrow. When it's left for tomorrow, the cost grows.

The normalization of risk in Türkiye also accelerates this process. Many "wrong practices" that have been done for years in businesses are perceived as working standards over time. Working with unguarded machines, unlabeled electrical panels, inadequate signage, improper lifting and carrying, weakness of subcontractor training and permit processes... This picture is so familiar in some businesses that "doing the right thing" looks like extra work. From the boss's perspective, extra work most of the time means cost and time. It seems easier to manage without disrupting the production order.

Also, one of the biggest fallacies of bosses in Türkiye is this: "We're paying attention." The boss often thinks: "We've been doing this for years, our eyes are open, our foreman is experienced, nothing will happen to us." This thought seems reassuring but is fragile in terms of OHS. Because OHS cannot be left to personal attention. Personal attention is not a system. OHS requires a system. When a system is not established, risk grows where attention fluctuates. People get tired, rush, become distracted, new personnel arrive, subcontractors change... These variables invalidate the boss's "attention" assumption.

Another important factor in the boss ignoring risk in Türkiye is the "illusion that responsibility has been distributed." Working with OJHS creates a "they're following this" perception in some bosses. This perception psychologically reduces responsibility. However, regulations don't accept this. Outsourcing service does not free the employer from responsibility. In the field, many bosses harshly experience this reality only when a work accident occurs. Because when that day comes, responsibility is measured not by who is written in the report, but by whether the business fulfilled its duty of care.

From an employment law perspective, the boss's biggest mistake is thinking OHS is "paperwork." Having a risk assessment done does not mean the employer has managed the risks. Having a signed training form does not mean the employer made the training effective. A drill report does not mean the business developed crisis reflexes. Due to inspection-focused practice in Türkiye, bosses may believe that paperwork is protective. However, what is evaluated after an accident is not the existence of paperwork; it's whether the risk was controlled.

Another reason for the boss ignoring risk is the weakness of the business's own internal control mechanism. In many businesses in Türkiye, information coming from the field to management is filtered. The foreman says "let's not exaggerate," the supervisor says "work is catching up now," the production manager says "we'll handle it tomorrow." The boss doesn't see the entire real risk in the field; because real information doesn't systematically reach the top. The OHS expert writes findings but the report is "filed away." In this case, "decision-driving data" doesn't come to the boss. When data doesn't come, the boss doesn't change their agenda either.

A critical truth emerges here: The boss doesn't ignore the risk; if risk management data doesn't systematically come to the boss, risk doesn't become an agenda item. Therefore, the key to transformation in OHS is not blaming the boss; it's establishing a control and monitoring system that will feed the boss's decision-making process. The boss makes decisions when correct data comes. Because in Türkiye, when the boss makes a choice between cost and risk, if they see the cost of risk concretely, they invest. The problem is that the cost of risk remains invisible.

The boss knowing the risk but ignoring it in Türkiye often stems not from bad intent; but from agenda pressure, invisible cost of risk, inspection culture, and lack of control mechanism. While the boss acts with the "production first" reflex, they cannot fully see the cost of risk before it materializes. That's why risk is postponed. Postponed risk accumulates and returns as a heavy cost to the business when its time comes.

The way to break this cycle is not to blame the boss; it's to establish the business's OHS control system. Risks, non-conformities, actions, and repetitions should come to the management screen as data. Unclosed actions should be visible, recurring non-conformities should emerge as trends, and delays should be reported to management. Only then does the boss see the real cost of risk before it materializes and makes decisions.

EGEROBOT ISG-SIS® focuses exactly on this point. It transforms OHS from a document production area into a control system. It establishes a structure that connects OJHS reports to actions, clarifies responsibility, verifies closure, analyzes repetitions, and brings management together with data. When such a structure is established, the boss's view of OHS also changes. Because OHS is no longer an "expense" but transforms into a management tool that controls the business's risk cost.