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DUERP
Document Unique — France
Code du Travail · Article L.4121-3 · Mandatory Risk Assessment · CSE
DUERP (Document Unique d'Évaluation des Risques Professionnels) creation, review, and annual updates. Expert French workplace risk assessment support aligned with the Code du travail and Loi Santé au Travail 2021.
Free Health & Safety Gap Analysis
30-minute Compliance Call Valued at £750+
What Happens on Your Free Gap Analysis Call:
- 1.30-minute consultation
- 2.We review your current H&S arrangements
- 3.We identify 1-10 critical compliance gaps you're missing
Identify 1+ gaps, or you receive a £50 gift card. Only 20 consultations are available every month.
DUERP — France's Mandatory Workplace Risk Assessment Document
The Document Unique d'Évaluation des Risques Professionnels (DUERP) is the core occupational health and safety compliance requirement for all employers in France. Under Article L.4121-3 of the Code du travail, every employer with one or more employees must produce, maintain, and update a DUERP.
The DUERP is the single, centralised risk assessment document that records all identified workplace hazards, evaluates the severity and likelihood of risks to employees, and sets out prevention and control measures. It is a living document that must be updated annually and made accessible to employees, their representatives (CSE), occupational health services, and labour inspectors.
Why DUERP Matters — More Than a Compliance Document
The DUERP is the legal expression of the employer's obligation de sécurité de résultat — the duty to achieve a safe workplace, not merely to make reasonable efforts.
Under French labour law (Code du travail), the employer must:
Systematically identify all workplace hazards — physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, organisational, and psychosocial
Evaluate those risks consistently using severity and likelihood criteria
Document them in a single central document — the DUERP
Implement and track prevention measures to eliminate or control risks
Update the DUERP annually, and whenever significant changes occur in operations, equipment, workforce, or following incidents
Legal Foundation of the DUERP
The DUERP requirement stems from Article L.4121-3 of the Code du travail, which imposes on employers a general duty to assess professional risks and to take all necessary measures to protect workers' physical and mental health. This was significantly reinforced by the Loi du 2 août 2021 (Loi Santé au Travail), which introduced new requirements for DUERP retention, accessibility, and archiving.
Failure to maintain a compliant DUERP — or to update it — constitutes a breach of the employer's obligation de sécurité de résultat and can lead to criminal liability, administrative sanctions, and significantly increased civil exposure in the event of a workplace accident or occupational disease.
Who Must Prepare a DUERP?
Every employer in France with one or more employees must have a DUERP. There is no exemption by size, sector, or risk level. This includes:
Sole-trader employers with a single employee
Small and medium enterprises (PME)
Large corporations and groups with multiple French establishments
Multinationals with French operations or employees based in France
Temporary employment agencies and their host enterprises
The DUERP is a legal requirement from the moment you hire your first employee in France. It is not optional.
What a Compliant DUERP Must Contain
A compliant and effective DUERP must:
1. Record All Identified Risks
Document hazards across all work activities, roles, and locations — including physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, organisational, and psychosocial risks (risques psychosociaux / RPS). The inventory must be systematic and comprehensive.
2. Evaluate Risk Severity and Likelihood
Each risk must be evaluated using consistent criteria that consider severity of potential harm, likelihood of exposure, and the number of workers potentially affected. A risk matrix or scoring methodology is commonly used.
3. Document Prevention and Control Measures
For each identified risk, the DUERP must:
Describe existing prevention measures already in place
Prioritise additional actions to improve safety
Assign responsibility, target deadlines, and resources
This forms the basis for the PAPRIPACT (annual prevention programme) for companies with 50+ employees.
4. Include Prioritisation and Action Planning
The DUERP must enable employers to identify the most critical risks and set out a structured pathway to eliminate or reduce them — linking directly to the PAPRIPACT where applicable.
5. Set Review and Update Procedures
Under the Loi du 2 août 2021, the DUERP must be updated:
At least once per year for companies with 11 or more employees
Whenever significant changes occur in operations, equipment, processes, or workforce
When new risks are identified
Following any workplace accident or occupational disease
How the DUERP Supports Health & Safety Management
Embed systematic risk identification and control into everyday operations
Facilitate social dialogue with employees and their representatives (CSE)
Provide documented evidence of due diligence in the event of an inspection or incident
Integrate occupational risk prevention into business planning and budgeting
Support continuous improvement in workplace health and safety performance
By consolidating all risk assessments across roles, departments, and hazard types into one document, the DUERP also enhances transparency, traceability, and accountability.
DUERP and Employee Engagement
French labour law views occupational risk management as a collective responsibility involving employers, employees, and their representatives.
Current employees and, under the Loi du 2 août 2021, former employees (for risks they were exposed to during employment)
Employee representatives and statutory bodies — the Comité Social et Économique (CSE)
Occupational health services (services de prévention et de santé au travail)
Labour inspectors (Inspection du travail) and prevention officers (CARSAT, CRAMIF)
This accessibility fosters a proactive safety culture and ensures that prevention becomes a shared organisational objective — not just a management task.
Sector-Specific DUERP Considerations
Different industries have unique risk profiles. An effective DUERP must reflect the specific hazards of your sector:
Office and Corporate Environments
Focus on:
Display screen (DSE) and ergonomic risks
Indoor air quality and thermal comfort
Fire and electrical hazards
Psychosocial risks (RPS) — stress, burnout, harassment
Technical and Industrial Operations
Requires specialised assessment of:
Machinery, mechanical, and equipment hazards
Chemical exposures and COSHH-equivalent obligations
Confined spaces and ATEX zones
Manual handling, vibration, and noise
Healthcare and Laboratories
Coverage includes:
Biological agents and infection control
Sharps and hazardous drug handling
Waste management and radiation safety
How to Create and Maintain a Compliant DUERP
Arinite's approach to DUERP is systematic, practical, and aligned with both French law and international best practice:
Initial Evaluation & Gap Analysis — Review current risk assessments, documentation, and compliance status
Risk Identification & Hazard Mapping — Comprehensive workplace analysis covering all risk types including psychosocial risks
Risk Evaluation & Prioritisation — Structured, consistent assessment using severity/likelihood criteria
Action Planning & Control Strategies — Practical prevention measures linked to priority levels and PAPRIPACT
Documentation & Accessibility — Clear, structured DUERP aligned with Code du travail requirements and Loi 2021 archiving obligations
Review & Update Cycle — Systems for annual review, event-triggered updates, and continuous improvement
This methodology ensures the DUERP meets legal obligations and functions as a practical risk management tool.
DUERP Compliance and Penalties
French employers must keep the DUERP up to date and accessible. Failure to maintain a compliant DUERP can result in:
Criminal penalties — fines of up to €1,500 per infraction (doubled for repeat offences)
Labour inspection orders and formal notices (mise en demeure)
Significantly increased civil liability in the event of a workplace accident or occupational disease — courts may find faute inexcusable (inexcusable fault) if the DUERP is absent or inadequate
Reputational damage and exposure in CSE consultations and public proceedings
French courts have consistently held that the absence of a DUERP, or a DUERP that has not been updated, is strong evidence of the employer's failure to meet the obligation de sécurité de résultat.
Need Help With Your DUERP?
Complying with the DUERP requirement requires expertise in French labour law, risk assessment methodology, and documented prevention systems. Arinite supports organisations with:
DUERP creation, review, and annual updates
Comprehensive risk analysis and hazard mapping — including psychosocial risks
Integration with PAPRIPACT annual prevention programmes
Integration with international health and safety frameworks (ISO 45001)
Training and ongoing compliance support for French and multinational organisations
Contact our DUERP specialists today
The Arinite Transformation™
From Reactive Firefighting to Proactive Health & Safety Compliance
REACTIVE
(Where 60% of Businesses Operate)
What It Looks Like:
No formal HSE systems in place. Everything is reactive, waiting for something to go wrong. Documentation is missing or outdated.
Why It's Dangerous:
- ✗£50K-£150K average fine when (not if) HSE inspects
- ✗Can't bid on contracts requiring HSE certification
- ✗One accident away from director prosecution
This isn't just "non-compliant." It's criminally negligent. Directors face personal prosecution.
REACTIVE
(Where 60% of Businesses Operate)
What It Looks Like:
No formal HSE systems in place. Everything is reactive, waiting for something to go wrong. Documentation is missing or outdated.
Why It's Dangerous:
- ✗£50K-£150K average fine when (not if) HSE inspects
- ✗Can't bid on contracts requiring HSE certification
- ✗One accident away from director prosecution
This isn't just "non-compliant." It's criminally negligent. Directors face personal prosecution.
COMPLIANCE
(Where Most Businesses Stop)
What It Looks Like:
Basic HSE documentation is in place. Minimum legal requirements met. You can pass a basic audit.
Why It's Better (But Not Enough):
- ✓Legal protection (no fines if inspected)
- ✓Can bid on contracts requiring certification
- ✓Pass basic client audits
- ✗Still reactive (problems arise, then you respond)
- ✗Compliance maintained by one person (bottleneck)
- ✗Systems don't run themselves
Compliance is where most consultants get you, then leave. You're legal, but you're not optimised.
COMPLIANCE
(Where Most Businesses Stop)
What It Looks Like:
Basic HSE documentation is in place. Minimum legal requirements met. You can pass a basic audit.
Why It's Better (But Not Enough):
- ✓Legal protection (no fines if inspected)
- ✓Can bid on contracts requiring certification
- ✓Pass basic client audits
- ✗Still reactive (problems arise, then you respond)
- ✗Compliance maintained by one person (bottleneck)
- ✗Systems don't run themselves
Compliance is where most consultants get you, then leave. You're legal, but you're not optimised.
PROACTIVE
(Where Arinite Clients Operate)
What It Looks Like:
Systems run proactively (prevent problems before they occur). Compliance is distributed (not dependent on one person). HSE becomes a competitive advantage, not a cost centre.
Why It's Transformational:
- ✓Win more contracts (HSE certification opens doors)
- ✓Save 20+ hours/week (systems run themselves)
- ✓Peace of mind (sleep soundly, without the fear of prosecution)
- ✓Focus on your core business while we handle compliance
That's why 95%+ of clients renew year after year.
PROACTIVE
(Where Arinite Clients Operate)
What It Looks Like:
Systems run proactively (prevent problems before they occur). Compliance is distributed (not dependent on one person). HSE becomes a competitive advantage, not a cost centre.
Why It's Transformational:
- ✓Win more contracts (HSE certification opens doors)
- ✓Save 20+ hours/week (systems run themselves)
- ✓Peace of mind (sleep soundly, without the fear of prosecution)
- ✓Focus on your core business while we handle compliance
That's why 95%+ of clients renew year after year.
The Arinite Difference:
Other consultants get you to Stage 2 (Compliant) and disappear.
We get you to Stage 3 (Proactive) and keep you there.
That's why we call it transformation, not just compliance.
"We work with you to deliver peace of mind. We tailor our service provision to your business to provide proactive, pragmatic health and safety advice and that helps reduce costs by ensuring compliance with relevant health and safety legislation."
Robert Winsloe
Managing Director
From Hidden Gaps to Compliance
Our proven 3-step system has helped over 1,000 businesses eliminate enforcement risk, pass inspections, and protect directors from personal liability.
No guesswork. No generic templates. No box-ticking.
Free Health and Safety Gap Analysis Call
Identify what's missing before an inspector does.
A focused 30-minute health and safety assessment to expose weaknesses in your current arrangements.
What you get:
→ You leave knowing exactly where you're exposed and what to do about it.
Health and Safety Audit
Turn risk into documented compliance, fast.
We conduct a comprehensive health and safety audit of your workplace and ensure everything inspectors expect to see is in place. This covers risk assessments, workplace safety inspections, health and safety policy documentation, and every gap identified in Step 1.
What's included:
→ You move from exposed to defensible with evidence to prove it.
Outsource Your Health & Safety - The Arinite Partnership
We become your health and safety department. Your competent person. Your compliance team.
No chasing updates. No need to worry about changes in health and safety laws. No need to wonder if you've missed something. You focus on your core day-to-day business, Arinite handle the rest.
What we take ownership of:
→ Compliance handled. Risk controlled. Directors protected.
Why This Works
Most enforcement actions arise from systems being assumed rather than proven.
We don't advise. We don't hand over templates.
We build, implement, and maintain end-to-end health and safety compliance, and when we identify an action item, we proactively pursue and resolve it. That's the difference.
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Have a question or need expert advice? We're here to help.
Free Health & Safety Gap Analysis
30-minute Compliance Call Valued at £750+
What Happens on Your Free Gap Analysis Call:
- 1.30-minute consultation
- 2.We review your current H&S arrangements
- 3.We identify 1-10 critical compliance gaps you're missing
Identify 1+ gaps, or you receive a £50 gift card. Only 20 consultations are available every month.
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