Occupational physicians and occupational health services

All establishments covered by health and safety legislation are required to set up occupational medical services, known as "services de santé au travail" (Code du travail, articles L. 4621-1 et seq.).

Depending on the size of the company, these SSTs may be specific to a single company or shared by several. The former is referred to as an autonomous service, the latter as an inter-company service.

SSTs must be approved by the DIRECCTE, after consulting the regional occupational health and safety inspector (MIRT). Approval is granted for five years.

The exclusive mission of SSTs is to prevent any deterioration in the health of workers as a result of their work. To this end, they...