The physical and mental health of employees, as well as their safety at work, are the employer’s responsibility.
To enable employers to meet this obligation, the legislation has rendered the DUERP mandatory for all companies from the time their first employee is hired (article R. 4121-1 of the French Labor Code).
What is the DUERP?
The “Document Unique d’Évaluation des Risques Professionnels”, or DUERP, is an essential tool in a company’s occupational risk prevention policy. Its aim is to identify and assess the occupational risks to which workers are exposed during the course of their professional activities.
Why is the DUERP so useful?
The DUERP is based on a global, multi-disciplinary approach from the company: technical, medical and organizational, it aims to :
- Identify all the risks (working conditions, work organization, equipment, exposure to chemicals, etc.) to which workers are directly exposed;
- Evaluate the probability of occurrence and severity of such risks, taking into account the various factors likely to cause risks to workers’ health and safety;
- Determine the preventive actions and measures already in place and those to be implemented to reduce the risks identified.
What are the company obligations regarding the DUERP?
The DUERP must be regularly updated, particularly in the event of any modification in the work organization, equipment or production processes, or the emergence of new risks. It must be kept on file and made available to workers (who must be informed of its existence and content), members of staff representative bodies (CSE) and labor inspectors.
Furthermore, article L4121-3-1 of the French Labor Code stipulates that the employer is obliged to forward the DUERP to the occupational health doctor.
What are the reasons for this obligation?
The occupational health physician plays an important role in assessing occupational risks. Forwarding the DUERP gives him/her a precise overview of the occupational risks present in the company, and of the preventive measures in place.
This general knowledge of the company enables her/him to direct his prevention and medical surveillance actions according to the specific risks identified in the company.
In this way, collaboration between employer and occupational physician is optimized to ensure the health and safety of workers.
Failure to comply with these obligations may result in penalties for the employer, including fines and criminal prosecution in the event of workplace accidents or occupational illnesses linked to breaches of occupational health and safety regulations.
And don’t forget: the company form “Fiche d’Entreprise”, drawn up by the occupational health physician, regardless of the number of employees, is also a compulsory document which complements the DUERP.
Would you like to have more information?
You don’t have a DUERP?
Do you need help in creating or updating your DUERP?
Contact us on
+33 (0)1 72 15 13 43
contact@omagconsulting.com
