France: government sets out to address serious and fatal accidents at work

With France recording a very high number of workplace deaths every year (around 750, the highest incident rate in the EU), the government announced a series of measures on 10 July. These measures focus on strengthening enforcement, as prevention has not proved sufficient to reduce the number of fatal accidents, which has remained stable for five years but is up by a third compared to 2010, according to the French health insurance system. The power of labour inspectors to impose penalties will be increased, even in the absence of workplace accidents, notably through settlements combining fines and additional measures to remedy the offences detected. In the event of a serious or fatal accident involving an employee of a subcontractor, the government intends to systematically prosecute the principal contractors and not just the employers. The circular co-signed by France’s labour and justice ministries finally provides for increased support for victims and their families, in particular by informing them of their rights of appeal.

Worth noting: only 94 convictions for legal entities and 56 for individuals were handed down for deaths at work in 2023. Furthermore, although the government has launched a campaign in recent months to recruit labour inspectors and intends to strengthen their presence on the ground, their numbers (just under 2,000 inspectors) fell by 16% between 2015 and 2021.