Government presents work accident prevention plan inspired by 2024 Olympics

A dedicated contact group will provide "technical support" so that the sectors with the highest accident rates make "commitments to preventing serious and fatal accidents at work", explained an advisor to the minister.

These commitments "will then have to be materialized by agreements which will be signed by the voluntary branches," he added.

These branches will be supported, in particular to provide training for management and workers "with a view to disseminating a culture of prevention", the same source specified.

Astrid Panosyan-Bouvet presented her plan in the morning to the National Council for the Orientation of Working Conditions (CNOCT).

In October, she had indicated that she wanted to set up such a contact group "by drawing lessons from the Paris Olympic Games", during which the signing of a social charter had helped to reduce the number of accidents on construction sites linked to the Games by four.

The target sectors will include construction and public works as well as temporary work, "which is very willing to move forward on the issue", it was specified in his entourage.

The government will issue instructions to public ordering parties to use "their purchasing policy lever to promote companies' prevention initiatives," the ministerial advisor also indicated.

Regarding the repressive aspect for employers who do not respect their obligations in terms of safety at work, the government has "identified clear margins for improvement in terms of cooperation between the labor inspectorate and the public prosecutor's office."

The plan does not provide for the creation of new sanctions, the same source added.

Two deaths and more than a hundred serious accidents causing temporary or permanent work-related disability occur every day in France, a figure that has not fallen for many years, the ministry said in October.