What are the penalties for breaking occupational safety rules in France?

In France, an employer or its delegate who, through personal fault, breaches the main health and safety rules of the Code du travail faces a criminal fine of 10,000 euros applied as many times as there are workers concerned, and for a repeat offence one year's imprisonment and a 30,000-euro fine (L. 4741-1). Labour inspectors can also stop dangerous work and ask a judge to close a workshop, and the labour administration can impose administrative fines on their report; if a worker is injured or killed, Penal Code offences and higher insurance costs follow.

Short answer

These amounts are written into the law and do not change every year; they change only when the text is amended.

How enforcement escalates

French inspectors usually give the employer a chance to comply first, but they can act at once when life is at risk.

1. Formal notice (mise en demeure): the regional director (DREETS), on the inspector's report, can order the employer to remedy a dangerous situation caused by a breach of the general principles of prevention (L. 4721-1). For many technical decrees, the inspector must give formal notice before writing a report (L. 4721-4).
2. Immediate report (procès-verbal): where the facts present a serious or imminent danger, the inspector may record the offence without prior notice (L. 4721-5).
3. Temporary stop of work (arrêt temporaire de travaux ou d'activité): to remove a worker from serious and imminent danger caused, for example, by lack of fall protection, risk of burial, asbestos work without protection or machinery without guards (L. 4731-1), or after an unsuccessful formal notice on overexposure to carcinogens, mutagens or reprotoxic agents (L. 4721-8 and L. 4731-2).
4. Urgent court order (référé): the inspector applies to a judge, who can order equipment out of service, seizure, or the temporary closure of a workshop or site, with a daily penalty payment (L. 4732-1).

Penal Code, civil and insurance consequences

When an accident causes death or injury, the employer, managers with delegated authority and the company itself can be prosecuted for involuntary homicide or involuntary injury under the Penal Code (articles 221-6 and 222-19 and following, referred to in L. 4741-2). The court can order the judgment to be displayed and published, and for repeat offences ban the person from certain functions for up to five years (L. 4741-5). Where a court acquits the individuals but finds serious or repeated breaches in the company, it can still order a plan of measures for up to five years (L. 4741-11).

Separately, the Social Security system can increase the cost of insurance. The regional CARSAT may send an injunction to take safety measures within a set time; if it is not followed, the employer's accident insurance contribution rate can be raised. The victim and their family can also claim additional compensation if the courts find the employer's "inexcusable fault" (faute inexcusable).

Common mistakes

• Thinking delegation removes all liability. L. 4741-1 targets the employer or its delegate, so a real delegation to a competent manager with authority and means matters, but the employer keeps its general duty under L. 4121-1 and where the offence caused death or injury the court can make the employer pay the fines imposed on a delegate (L. 4741-2).
• Reading 10,000 euros as a cap. The fine applies once per worker concerned, so a single breach can lead to a large total.
• Ignoring the CARSAT. Its injunctions are not inspections by the State, but ignoring them raises insurance costs.

Related on excodex

• Occupational safety and health in France: law, authorities and employer duties
• What is the main OSH law in France and who enforces it?
• How and within what time must a workplace accident be reported in France?

Standards and further reading

• Code du travail, articles L. 4721-1 to L. 4732-1, L. 4741-1 to L. 4741-11, L. 4752-1, L. 8114-1, L. 8115-1, L. 8115-3, R. 4121-5, R. 4741-1: Code du travail numérique
• Code pénal, articles 221-6 and 222-19 (involuntary homicide and injury); the Penal Code text could not be opened for this answer, so the penalty levels under it are not quoted
• Service-public.gouv.fr (Entreprendre), DUERP page with criminal and administrative sanctions, verified by its editors on 22 July 2026: https://entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr/vosdroits/F35360
• Service-public.gouv.fr, Accident du travail : démarches à effectuer: https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F171
• INRS, Social Security as an actor of prevention: https://www.inrs.fr/demarche/acteurs-institutionnels/assurance-sociale-acteur-prevention-reparation.html

This article is general occupational safety and health information prepared by the excodex editorial team. It does not replace the applicable legislation, standards, manufacturers' instructions or the assessment of a competent OSH professional or occupational physician.