Safety at Seveso sites: regulations

This text describes the safety obligations for Seveso sites, including access control and inventory of hazardous materials. External companies must also provide a safety file.

Marie Faucon
EHS Consultant
Update : 
12.09.2025
Publication: 
08.01.2020
Contents
Example H2
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Seveso sites are subject to particular safety and surveillance risks. The order of July 25, 2017, extending the agreement concluded within the framework of the national collective bargaining agreement for the chemical industries, thus sets out specific safety requirements for operators of Seveso sites - covered by this agreement - particularly with regard to the intervention of external companies.

The main safety measures for Seveso sites

In order to maintain and improve the safety of Seveso plants, companies in the sector must implement the following key measures:

  • Monitor and control access for people, vehicles and objects entering the site, adapting the technical and human resources for this activity in consultation with the social and economic committee(CSE) / health, safety and working conditions committee (CHSCT);
  • Formalize a map of sensitive areas and their access conditions for all persons;
  • Keep an up-to-date inventory of hazardous materials stock to detect theft quickly and report it to the authorities.

A safety file to be supplied by service providers and subcontractors

The client company (or user company) must establish selection criteria for outside contractors working on its Seveso site. For their part, these service providers and subcontractors must submit a safety file to the ordering company, which must include :

  • Defining their safety policy ;
  • Description of the staff recruitment process (job description, candidate assessment procedures, etc.);
  • Instructions and procedures for controlling safety ;
  • The safety training/awareness sessions they organize for their employees;
  • Analysis of any safety incidents encountered, and feedback from experience.


In addition, subcontractors are required to provide the ordering company with a list of employees working on the Seveso site, so that they can obtain authorization to access the site. The subcontracting company must be informed in advance of any staff replacement.

Finally, for Seveso high-threshold sites in particular, selected external contractors must be accredited by an external body. Since 2008, this accreditation has been obtained following an audit carried out in accordance with the common MASE-UIC system.

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