Occupational health in the digital age: rethinking employer obligations
Résumé
Work, technology and occupational health form a triptych which is actually made up of two intertwined pairs with close causal links between them. The first is made up of work and technology, while the second, equally central, is constituted by work and health. In this network of relationships, technology plays a major role.
From the perspective of the increase of digital tools in the workplace, the aim of the article is to determine how the occupational health policy could contribute to decent work for workers in the digital age.
In order to answer to this question, the contribution follows a reflection on how to enhance primary prevention through an emphasis on the consideration of real work in the face of digital risks. Indeed, even if, the legal framework obliges employers to draw up a risks inventory, employees are the main stakeholders who have a precise vision of the work as it is carried out in practice. Therefore, giving them a place in the risk assessment process by promoting the expression of employees seems to be the first step in building a prevention policy adapted to the realities of work.
Secondly, the contribution aims to discuss the liability of the employer with regard to the principle of prevention. When the employer shirks his obligation to assess risks, he shirks his obligation of prevention. This results in a lower guarantee of the employee’s health and constitutes an autonomous damage.