6 Effective Tips for Writing the DUERP in Your Company

Creating a DUERP (Document Unique d’Évaluation des Risques Professionnels) may feel like paperwork overload, but here’s the thing: it’s not just a legal checkbox. Your organization is showing that you care about the health and safety of the people who keep it operating by using this one-of-a-kind risk assessment document. It's important to comprehend and write the DUERP whether you're in charge of a small team or a big group of people.

So, what is the true problem? A lot of managers and business owners realize they have to have a DUERP by law, but they don't know how to draft it, who should be engaged, or how often it should be updated. If it sounds like you, don't worry; we'll go over it step by step.

Success Box

Writing your DUERP doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are the six key actions you need to take:

1. Assess the risks present in your company.
2. Involve a group of stakeholders.
3. Promote a culture of prevention.
4. Plan preventive actions.
5. Publish and regularly update your DUERP.
6. Communicate clearly and often about the DUERP.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through each of these steps, explain why they matter, and give you practical tips so you can confidently put your DUERP together without pulling your hair out.

Assess The Risks Present in The Company

The foundation of the DUERP is risk assessment. Think of it as a safety map: where could things go wrong, and how can you stop them? Risks might be obvious, like falls or accidents with machines, or they can be less obvious but just as harmful, such as psychosocial stress or problems with ergonomics.

To get started, follow these steps:

1. Find Dangers: Take a walk around the office. Check out the tasks, machines, and working conditions.
2. Sort The Risks: Which ones could do a lot of damage? Which ones are more likely to happen?
3. Set Priorities: Focus on hazards that have a high chance of happening and will have major effects.

Fact Box: The French labor code requires every employer, regardless of company size, to maintain a DUERP. That means even a business with two employees must list and assess professional risks.

A simple table can make this exercise more concrete:

Form A Collective of Stakeholders Involved in Drafting Your DUERP

A DUERP can't be written by just one individual. Your risk assessment will be more complete if you look at it from more than one angle.

People who should be involved:

1. Employees: They know the hazards and everyday routines better than anybody else.
2. Health and Safety Representatives: They can contribute technical know-how and best practices.
3. Management: People who make decisions and can give out resources.
4. Occupational Health Professionals: They are experts at finding risks that you might not see.

Quick Tip: Set up small workshops with different groups. Ask them to talk about circumstances they've been in or seen that were dangerous.

This group method not only makes sure that things are correct, but it also creates trust. People are more inclined to observe safety rules if they helped make them.

Foster A Culture of Prevention in Your Company

A DUERP is not just a document—it’s the reflection of your company’s safety culture. It won't make a difference if they think it's just another binder on the shelf. Every day, people should think about how to stop things from happening.

Practical steps:

1. Remind staff about safety precautions at meetings on a regular basis.
2. Give short training sessions on things like how to lift things safely and how to deal with stress.
3. Give rewards for safe actions.

Suggestion Box: Don't just react to accidents; celebrate when you see a risky situation early and avoid it. Recognition encourages employees to stay alert.

Plan Preventive Actions in The Drafting of the DUERP

Once risks are identified, you need a plan to reduce or eliminate them. This is where your DUERP turns into a real action tool.

Ask yourself:

1. What measures can reduce this risk?
2. Can we redesign the task, use better equipment, or provide training?
3. What’s the timeline and who is responsible for each action?

Examples of preventive actions:

1. Installing guards on dangerous machines.
2. Providing ergonomic chairs.
3. Setting up stress-management programs.

Danger Box: Don’t fall into the trap of only writing risks without suggesting solutions. A DUERP without prevention measures is incomplete—and legally non-compliant.

Publish and Update Your Company's DUERP

Your DUERP isn’t a one-off document. Risks evolve, technology changes, and new employees arrive. The law requires you to update the DUERP at least once a year, and after any significant workplace changes (new machinery, renovations, etc.).

Important points:

1. Keep both a digital and physical copy.
2. Make sure it’s accessible to employees, staff representatives, and occupational health services.
3. Store previous versions (this shows the progress made over time).

Info Box: Since March 2022, companies with 11 or more employees must file their DUERP with an official online system managed by the authorities. This guarantees traceability.

Ensure Transparent and Regular Communication on the DUERP

A well-written DUERP is useless if no one knows about it. Communication is just as important as risk assessment itself.

Ways to keep communication alive:

1. Share key points of the DUERP during onboarding.
2. Display simplified versions in common areas.
3. Send short updates when changes are made.

Employees should feel that the DUERP is not “management’s document” but a shared company tool that protects everyone.

Quick Tip: Use infographics or simple visuals instead of long texts when communicating about risks—people will pay more attention.

Conclusion

It may seem like a pain to write your DUERP, but it's one of the best things you can do for your business. You are following the law and making your workplace safer, healthier, and more motivated by finding hazards, getting your team involved, encouraging preventive measures, and keeping the document up to date through communication.

Success Box

The six steps to writing a DUERP are: assess risks, involve stakeholders, promote prevention, plan actions, update regularly, and communicate clearly. Follow these, and your DUERP will become a real driver of workplace safety.

Learn more:

1. Consult the OIRA tool for online risk assessment and DUERP editing for small businesses on the INRS website, developed by Health Insurance – Professional Risks in partnership with professional organizations.
2. Use Mon Document Unique Prem’s, developed by OPPBTP, to help construction companies draft their DUERP with ready-to-use risk templates.

Read more:

1. General principles of risk prevention
2. Prevention of psychosocial risks (PSR)
3. The role of occupational health stakeholders

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DUERP?

The DUERP is the “Document Unique d’Évaluation des Risques Professionnels.” It’s a legally required document that identifies and evaluates workplace risks, then proposes preventive measures.

Who is required to write a DUERP?

All companies in France, regardless of size, must have a DUERP. Even if you employ just one person, you’re obligated to draft one.

How often should the DUERP be updated?

At least once a year, and every time there is a significant change in working conditions (new equipment, new premises, etc.).

What happens if a company doesn’t have a DUERP?

Failure to comply can result in fines, legal liability in case of an accident, and even damage to your company’s reputation.

Is the DUERP only about physical risks?

No. The DUERP also covers psychosocial risks like stress, harassment, and burnout, as well as environmental risks such as exposure to chemicals.