Subsection 8: Monitoring workers' health

Depending on the risk assessment, a worker assigned to work exposing him to chemical agents hazardous to health may undergo an additional medical examination prescribed by the occupational physician to check that he has no medical contraindications to such work.

The medical examination carried out includes a general clinical examination and, depending on the nature of the exposure, one or more additional specialised examinations which the occupational physician carries out or arranges to be carried out. These examinations are paid for under the conditions provided for in article R. 4624-36 or, in the case of an agricultural employee, in article R. 717-20 of the Rural and Maritime Fishing Code.

Each worker is informed by the occupational physician of the results and interpretation of the general and additional medical examinations he or she has undergone.

The technical instructions specifying the procedures for the medical examinations to be carried out by occupational health physicians are determined, where necessary, by joint order of the ministers responsible for labour and agriculture.

In addition to the information and prevention visits and additional examinations which the worker receives, the employer shall have the occupational physician examine any worker exposed to the chemical agents mentioned in Article R. 4412-44 who claims to be bothered by the work he is performing. This examination may be carried out at the worker’s request. The occupational physician is informed by the employer of absences due to illness lasting…

The occupational physician prescribes the medical examinations required for biological monitoring of exposure to chemical agents. The worker is informed by the doctor of the results of these examinations and their interpretation. The occupational physician informs the employer of the anonymous and overall interpretation of the results of this biological monitoring of exposure to chemical agents, while ensuring that medical confidentiality is respected.

Analyses to check compliance with the biological limit values set by decree are carried out by the bodies mentioned in article R. 4724-15. If the limit values are exceeded, the occupational physician, if he considers that this is due to occupational exposure, will inform the employer, in a non-nominative form, and the worker.

A joint order by the ministers for labour and agriculture specifies the procedures and methods to be used to check compliance with biological limit values.

If a worker is suffering from an occupational disease, a disease or an abnormality likely to result from exposure to hazardous chemical agents, with the exception of the carcinogens and mutagens defined in Article R. 4412-60, the occupational physician shall determine the relevance and nature of any examinations necessary for workers who have undergone comparable exposure. If a worker is suffering from either an occupational disease or an abnormality likely…

In the event of illness or anomaly as provided for in Article R. 4412-52, a new risk assessment is carried out with a view to ensuring better protection of workers’ health and safety.