Which legislation and standards bind us?

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Accepted Answer

A requirement arises in one of two ways. Laws and regulations bind automatically, by country and activity — nobody opts in and nobody may opt out. ISO certificates are voluntary; only the organisation knows whether it holds one, so it is asked. The distinction is not a detail: a system that puts both in the same questionnaire can be silenced by unticking the law. Two routes Route How it arises Example Derived from country Activity and place decide; nobody chooses, nobody may opt out An organisation processing personal data is bound by KVKK in Türkiye and by GDPR in the European Union Asked A voluntary certificate; only the organisation knows ISO 45001, ISO 14001, ISO 9001, ISO 50001 Why they are never in one list Where both sit in a single questionnaire, unticking one box drops the law out of the list too. The result is a compliance tool that can switch itself off — worse than no tool, because it produces the feeling of being covered. A certificate is a choice; a statute is not. The third case: reach A regulation can bind you although it is not in force where you are: a Turkish organisation offering services to people in the European Union is bound by GDPR too. That is a different situation from KVKK binding the same organisation at home, and a screen has to be able to tell them apart — listing two laws side by side without saying why each applies makes the list unusable. Requirements derived from activity Alongside country, activity decides: hazard class, headcount, quantity of dangerous substances, explosive atmospheres, use of contractors. None of these is voluntary; once a threshold is passed the duty exists. How this stands in Optifora Every standard carries an adoption mode : four are asked (ISO 45001 · 14001 · 9001 · 50001), two are derived from country (KVKK · GDPR). In addition 2,116 hazard class rules and 84 periodic inspection rules open activity-derived duties by themselves; nobody can untick those.

Obligation	Legal basis	How the page covers it
The Act applies to all work and workplaces regardless of the field of activity	Law no. 6331, art. 2(1) — this Act applies to all work and workplaces in the public and private sectors, to their employers and employers' representatives and to all employees including apprentices and interns, regardless of the field of activity; art. 2(2) — the exceptions are listed subparagraph by subparagraph.	The "Derived from the country" row of the "Two ways a requirement arises" table: nobody chooses it and nobody can opt out.
Activity and threshold open the duty by themselves	Law no. 6331, art. 9(1) — workplace hazard classes are fixed by a communiqué issued by the Ministry; art. 22(1) — a committee is set up where there are fifty or more employees and continuous work lasting more than six months; art. 29(1) — before operations begin, the required document is prepared for workplaces where a major industrial accident may occur.	The "Derived from the activity" section: hazard class, headcount, quantity of dangerous substances.

Obligation	Legal basis	How the page covers it
The framework directive applies to all sectors of activity	Directive 89/391/EEC, art. 2(1) — this Directive shall apply to all sectors of activity, both public and private (industrial, agricultural, commercial, administrative, service, educational, cultural, leisure, etc.); art. 2(2) — it shall not apply where characteristics peculiar to certain specific public service activities, such as the armed forces, the police or civil protection services, inevitably conflict with it, in which case safety and health must be ensured as far as possible in the light of the objectives of this Directive.	The EU side of the "Derived from the country" row of the "Two ways a requirement arises" table.
Individual directives sit on top of the framework without displacing it	Directive 89/391/EEC, art. 16(3) — the provisions of this Directive apply in full to all the areas covered by the individual directives, without prejudice to more stringent and/or specific provisions contained in them; art. 16(1) — the areas for individual directives are listed in the Annex.	Matches the "The third case of a derived requirement" section: two texts can bind at the same time.

Obligation	Legal basis	How the page covers it
The Act places a general duty on every employer towards its employees	Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, s. 2(1) — it shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.	The United Kingdom side of the "Derived from the country" row of the "Two ways a requirement arises" table.
The risk assessment is made to identify which statutory requirements apply	Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, reg. 3(1) — every employer shall assess the risks to his employees and to others affected by his undertaking for the purpose of identifying the measures he needs to take to comply with the requirements and prohibitions imposed upon him by or under the relevant statutory provisions.	Matches the "Derived from the activity" section: which requirement applies is measured.

Which legislation and standards bind us?

Two routes

Why they are never in one list

The third case: reach

Requirements derived from activity

How this stands in Optifora

Legal basis

Legal basis — Türkiye

Legal basis — European Union

Legal basis — United Kingdom

Legal basis — United States

Manage this in Optifora

Route	How it arises	Example
Derived from country	Activity and place decide; nobody chooses, nobody may opt out	An organisation processing personal data is bound by KVKK in Türkiye and by GDPR in the European Union
Asked	A voluntary certificate; only the organisation knows	ISO 45001, ISO 14001, ISO 9001, ISO 50001

Which legislation and standards bind us?

Two routes

Why they are never in one list

The third case: reach

Requirements derived from activity

How this stands in Optifora

Related answers

Legal basis

Legal basis — Türkiye

Legal basis — European Union

Legal basis — United Kingdom

Legal basis — United States

Manage this in Optifora