Chapter I: Principles.

The worker shall immediately alert the employer to any work situation which he has reasonable cause to believe presents a serious and imminent danger to his life or health, as well as to any defect he observes in the protective systems. He may withdraw from such a situation. The employer may not require a worker who has exercised his right to withdraw to resume his activity in a work situation…

An employee representative on the Social and Economic Committee who ascertains that there is a cause of serious and imminent danger, in particular through an employee, shall immediately alert the employer in accordance with the procedure set out in the first paragraph of Article L. 4132-2.

No sanction or deduction of wages may be taken against a worker or group of workers who have withdrawn from a work situation which they had reasonable cause to believe presented a serious and imminent danger to the life or health of each of them.

The benefit of the employer’s inexcusable fault provided for in article L. 452-1 of the Social Security Code is automatically available to the employee or employees who suffer an accident at work or an occupational disease when they or a staff representative on the social and economic committee had informed the employer of the risk that materialised.