Accidents at work in France

Work accident, commuting accident, work stoppage, declaration, compensation, words that come up too often

For several years now, the number of work accidents has decreased and it continues to do so. Today, a historic level has been reached. An improvement in work accidents in the construction industry explains this national decline in particular. Indeed, prevention actions in this sector, as well as the awareness that accidents do not only happen to others and the best protection for everyone, have made it possible to reduce accidents in this activity by 3.1%. In 10 years, the rate has fallen by 29%. But we must not stop there, indeed the accident rate remains high despite the decrease. There are 90 accidents at work per 1,000 employees in certain sectors of activity.

What are workplace accidents?

As a reminder, a work accident is a sudden event which, for whatever reason, caused physical or psychological damage to the employee and which occurred during the professional activity. of the employee on company premises. Any employee who is the victim of a work accident therefore finds himself on sick leave while being entitled to his salary. Sometimes, certain work accidents cause prolonged work stoppages for several months until the total cessation of their activity due to bodily injury which has caused permanent incapacity for the employee to work. However, many accident victims could be avoided with prevention and appropriate personal protective equipment. Beyond the actions put in place by the employer, employees must also respect the rules of protection.

A commuting accident is a sudden and unforeseen event that causes bodily injury or even death and can occur in two situations:

• Your home and place of work
• Your place of work and where to eat during the meal break

In this situation, the employer cannot avoid or require his employee to wear PPE, as it is not suitable for risks other than those encountered in the employee's workplace. For the accident to be considered as a commuting accident, it must correspond to a few points: take place during the work period (travel, lunch break) in particular.

Occupational disease what is it?

A disease can be said to be occupational when it is contracted by the employee because of working conditions, for example cancer related to the handling of chemical products. Resulting in an occupational disease are not the same as an accident at work for the company as well as for the employee.

What are the most common workplace accidents and their reasons?

The first place of accidents at work is handling (53%), followed by falls at work (25%) and hand tools (9%) closes this podium.

We can therefore say that it is not enough to equip yourself with a helmet or a jacket. It is therefore necessary to equip yourself according to your field of activity. In some cases, you may need glasses, gloves, etc. and in other sectors a helmet, safety shoes, etc.

A few figures:

• Approximately 500 deaths due to accidents at work each year.
• Over 540,000 workplace accidents in 2020 workplace accidents resulted in lost time or permanent disability.
• On average, for 1,000 employees, there are 33.8 work accidents.
• The number of fatal work accidents has been divided by 4 passers-by from 2046 in 1956 to 514 in 2016.

Professional PPE: ensures your safety

It is important to equip yourself and protect yourself to reduce the risk of accidents at work. More and more protective clothing and accessories are appearing and are more and more efficient without "breaking the piggy bank". PPE can significantly reduce the risk of work accidents that can cause mental and physical consequences: bodily injury, sometimes even permanent disability. A work accident can impact your everyday life, so it is essential to ensure your safety. PPE must be provided by the employer. In addition, tell yourself that it is of course better to equip yourself too much than not enough. You will never regret protecting yourself too much: Otherwise... it is often too late.

Is a life worth taking the risk of not equipping yourself and not protecting yourself? A large number of victims of work accidents will tell you no and will most certainly regret it. So think about it and take action.

Oxwork helps you find the equipment personal protection suitable for your sector of activity to avoid any danger. Your safety, our priority. Any PPE such as safety shoes, sneakers, etc, headphones for example are to be worn in addition to clothing adapted to the working conditions in which you work: clothing from high visibility security: overalls, work trousers.