Book IV: Prevention of certain risks of exposure

The employer shall define and apply preventive measures designed to eliminate or reduce to a minimum the risk of exposure to hazardous chemical agents: 1° By designing and organising suitable working methods; 2° By providing suitable equipment and regular maintenance procedures to protect workers’ health and safety; 3° By reducing to a minimum the number of workers exposed or likely to be exposed, while taking account of the risks incurred…

Where the results of the risk assessment reveal a risk to the health and safety of workers, the employer shall implement the following provisions: 1° Preventive measures and means provided for in Articles R. 4412-15 to R. 4412-22 ; 2° Checks on collective protection equipment and installations as provided for in sub-section 4; 3° Exposure monitoring as provided for in sub-section 5; 4° Measures in the event of an accident…

Where the results of the risk assessment show that the quantities in which a hazardous chemical agent is present in the workplace present only a low risk to the health and safety of workers and that the preventive measures taken pursuant to Articles L. 4121-1 to L. 4121-5 and R. 4412-11 are sufficient to reduce this risk, the provisions of Article R. 4412-12 do not apply.

Regardless of the results of the risk assessment, the provisions of article R. 4412-12 apply to the production, manufacture or use in the workplace of hazardous chemical agents which are subject to a ban pursuant to article L. 4411-1.

The risk posed by a hazardous chemical agent to the health and safety of workers must be eliminated. Where it is impossible to eliminate the risk, it shall be reduced to a minimum by substituting a hazardous chemical agent with another chemical agent or by using a non-hazardous or less hazardous process.

When the substitution of a hazardous chemical agent is not possible in view of the nature of the activity and the risk assessment, the risk is reduced to a minimum by implementing, in order of priority, the following measures: 1° Design of work processes and appropriate technical controls; 2° Use of appropriate equipment and materials so as to avoid or reduce as far as possible the release of hazardous chemical…

The employer shall take the appropriate technical measures and define the appropriate work organisation measures to ensure the protection of workers against the hazards arising from the chemical and physico-chemical properties of chemical agents. These measures shall cover, in particular, the storage, handling and isolation of incompatible chemical agents. To this end, the employer shall take appropriate measures to prevent: 1° The presence in the workplace of dangerous concentrations of…

Where the technical and organisational measures provided for in Article R. 4412-17 are not feasible in view of the nature of the activity, the employer shall take, in order of priority, the necessary steps to: 1° Prevent the presence in the workplace of ignition sources likely to cause fires or explosions, or the existence of unfavourable conditions which could lead to unstable chemical substances or mixtures having dangerous physical effects;…