Why does France hold the record for accidents in the workplace?

ADVERTISEMENT

In Saint-Colomban, a small community outside the city of Nantes in northwest France, Pierrick Duchêne, the husband of Claudine, was tragically crushed to death by a machine while working alone. 

It was supposed to be the start of his Christmas holidays, but he received a last-minute call to come to work and perform maintenance on a machine. He never returned home. Claudine told Euronews Witness, "Dying at work in France shouldn't happen. Yet, there are two deaths per day."

Matthieu Lépine, a history and geography teacher, has been analysing the high rate of workplace fatalities in France over the past five years. Through his "X" account, he regularly sheds light on accidents in the workplace. "We have fewer and fewer labour inspectors. Today, one labour inspector is responsible for over 10,000 employees," Matthieu told Euronews.

Rémy Bellois is one such labour inspector who lives in Auchy les Mines, outside of Lille, His mission is to visit shops, construction sites, and various businesses to ensure they are complying with safety regulations. He told Euronews that he believes "the penalties are relatively lenient, and a fine of just €10,000 per accident is not very dissuasive." 

Frédéric Soulier, from Metz in France’s northeastern Grand Est region, knows this all too well. In 2012, while working as a rope access technician in a sugar silo, he survived an accident in which two of his colleagues lost their lives. "Cases like this should be resolved promptly. People generally work to earn a living, not to risk their lives while doing so," he said.

Many victims and their families say forced protocols, insufficient penalties, and the lack of inspections are fueling the problem. Some of them have formed the 'Stop Death at Work' collective which pays tribute to workers killed or injured at work and calls for increased safety measures.

For more on this report, click on the video in the media player above.