Abstract

In France, recent laws concerning retirement foresee the obligation to reach agreements in order to prevent some risks, whose disabling consequences imply forms of compensations. These norms raise a number of issues: the language used to define risks, damages and their consequences, generates ambiguities, and some contradictions with the norms concerning health and safety at work appear. It is plausible that this depends on distorted interpretations of the general prevention principles that have been widespread for a long time, which inhibit to reduce effectively the high rates of work accidents and professional diseases.