Origins and development of the legislation
Occupational risk prevention: French legislation

Public intervention in relations between employers and employees, a consequence of the industrial revolution, appeared in the 19th century to protect the weakest workers from the risks created by the machines and products used, and to compensate for the consequences of accidents.

Following the publication of a survey by Doctor Villermé in the spinning mills of northern and eastern France, a law passed on March 22, 1841 prohibited the employment of children under the age of 8 in factories with more than 20 employees, and limited the daily working hours of children under the age of 16. This law, which was never enforced due to a lack of controls and sanctions, can be considered the first social law.

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