Scope of application, defined in the very first article
Article R.4511-1 sets the general framework: these provisions apply to the head of the host company and the head of the external company whenever an external company sends workers to perform operations at a facility, including its dependencies or construction sites, as specified by Construction Safety. The term "facility" is understood here in a broad sense, as a work unit, rather than just in the administrative sense of the term.
Measures prior to the execution of work
Even before addressing the prevention plan itself, articles R.4512-1 to R.4512-5 mandate a step that is often overlooked: a joint analysis of risks that may arise from the interference between the activities, facilities, and equipment of the companies present, carried out via a joint inspection of the workplace, according to Prevention Law Space. It is this analysis that must allow for the mutual agreement on prevention plan measures if risks are identified.
The section dedicated to the prevention plan
The core of the system is found in Section 3 of Book V, which includes articles R.4512-6 to R.4512-12 of the Labor Code.
When must it be provided in writing ?
Article R.4512-7 establishes two situations where a written prevention plan is mandatory before work begins : when the operation involves at least 400 hours of work over a 12-month period, or, regardless of the expected duration, when the work is included on the list of hazardous tasks defined by ministerial decree.
Minimum required content
Article R.4512-8 specifies that the measures outlined in the prevention plan must at least include the definition of hazardous activity phases and specific preventive measures, as well as the organization established to provide first aid in an emergency and a description of the arrangements made for this purpose by the user company, according to the text relayed by Travail Santé. Article R.4512-9 adds a specific requirement regarding individual monitoring: the list of positions held by workers who may be subject to enhanced health monitoring must also be included in the document.
Making the document available
When a written prevention plan is mandatory, Articles R.4512-11 and R.4512-12 require that it remain available to the labor inspectorate, social security prevention agents, and, where applicable, the OPPBTP, for the entire duration of the work. Furthermore, the head of the user company must notify the labor inspectorate in writing when work commences.
Medical monitoring and ongoing coordination
The process does not end with the initial drafting. Articles R.4513-9 to R.4513-13 organize the coordination of medical surveillance for workers across the various companies involved and stipulate that the prevention plan must be updated if coordination measures change during the project. We have detailed the complete drafting method, beyond just the legal framework, in our prevention plan guide, and the trigger thresholds in our article on 2026 obligations and methodology.
How does QHSE software ensure compliance with these articles ?
Tracking the 400-hour cumulative threshold, verifying the applicable list of hazardous tasks, keeping the document accessible for labor inspections, and logging updates whenever coordination changes represents a precise compliance burden, article by article. The Symalean prevention plan management module structures each of these regulatory obligations within a single tool, with traceability that is immediately usable in the event of an audit.
