The ‘Cease Dying at Work’ advocacy group, which campaigns on behalf of victims and their bereaved households, might have the reply.
In Saint-Colomban, a small group exterior town of Nantes in northwest France, Pierrick Duchêne, the husband of Claudine, was tragically crushed to dying by a machine whereas working alone.
It was purported to be the beginning of his Christmas holidays, however he acquired a last-minute name to come back to work and carry out upkeep on a machine. He by no means returned residence. Claudine advised Euronews Witness, “Dying at work in France should not occur. But, there are two deaths per day.”
Matthieu Lépine, a historical past and geography instructor, has been analysing the excessive fee of office fatalities in France over the previous 5 years. Via his “X” account, he often sheds gentle on accidents within the office. “We now have fewer and fewer labour inspectors. At this time, one labour inspector is liable for over 10,000 staff,” Matthieu advised Euronews.
Rémy Bellois is one such labour inspector who lives in Auchy les Mines, exterior of Lille, His mission is to go to retailers, building websites, and varied companies to make sure they’re complying with security laws. He advised Euronews that he believes “the penalties are comparatively lenient, and a superb of simply €10,000 per accident shouldn’t be very dissuasive.”
Frédéric Soulier, from Metz in France’s northeastern Grand Est area, is aware of this all too nicely. In 2012, whereas working as a rope entry technician in a sugar silo, he survived an accident during which two of his colleagues misplaced their lives. “Instances like this ought to be resolved promptly. Folks usually work to earn a residing, to not danger their lives whereas doing so,” he mentioned.
Many victims and their households say pressured protocols, inadequate penalties, and the shortage of inspections are fueling the issue. A few of them have shaped the ‘Cease Dying at Work’ collective which pays tribute to staff killed or injured at work and requires elevated security measures.
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