ABSTRACT
The object of this article is to discuss the specificities of the preventionist’s job based on an ergonomics point of view of their practice. The prevention function has developed within enterprises and control organizations, both private or public, to take into account factors such as the increase of industrial activities, new risks for workers, the nearby population, and the environment. This has led to an increase in the number of the participants involved in these matters (doctors, ergonomists, toxicologists, health and safety officers, etc.). In this article we will focus on health, and safety preventionists operating within enterprises in France and Québec and highlight some of the difficulties encountered in their daily lives. Although managers, designers, and workers have a tendency to restrict the work of preventionists to health and safety matters, we will indicate the additional functions they could fulfill within organizations.
