The Labor french Code contains no specific provisions relating to nanomaterial manipulations. As long as there is no regulatory gap. The general principles applicable to the employee health protection and the texts dedicated to the putting on the market of chemical substances, cosmetic products, medicines or foods remain applicable.

Nanomaterials are dangerous chemical agents. As such, they are subject to the regulation governing the chemical risk prevention provided by the Labor Code (decrees of 02/01/2001, 12/23/3003 and 04/19/2012). The rules of prevention are based on the 9 general prevention principles laid down in the article L. 4121-2 of the labor code. They are declined in two parts:

• the general rules of the chemical risk prevention (articles R. 4412-1 to R. 4412-58 of the labor code),
• the special prevention rules for activities involving carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic chemical agents (articles R. 4412-59 to R. 4412-93 of the labor code).

It agrees to flick on existing expertise for known risks:

• directive n°12 of 24 May 2006: procedure in relation to the analysis of chemical risk,
• directive 67/548-1999/45: classification, packaging and labelling of dangerous substances, are also applicable to nanomaterials.