From September 1, wearing a compulsory mask becomes the default rule in all companies in France.

A general principle which will all the same be tempered by some relaxations, which will depend on the protective measures taken by companies and the epidemiological color of the department.

He is waiting until the last moment: the new health protocol, which must come into force on September 1, must be published Monday evening.

The text, presented to the social partners, notably includes the generalization of the wearing of masks in companies.

A "systematization", to use the expression used by the Minister of Labor Élisabeth Borne, which will be accompanied by adaptations.

First elements filtered out before the publication of the decree.

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The general rule enacted by Élisabeth Borne is simple: the mask is mandatory in companies in all shared spaces, whether open spaces, corridors, meeting rooms, etc.

Only occupants of individual offices can do without.

The flexibility system is a bit more complex.

The main criterion used by the government for these relaxations is the speed of circulation of the virus.

The generalization of wearing a mask will therefore be more or less restrictive depending on the epidemiological color of the departments (green, orange or red).

Different protocols in green zone and red zone

In the green zone, that is to say in three quarters of metropolitan departments, it will be possible to remove your mask for a few minutes in an enclosed space if the room is well ventilated or if the workstations are separated by screens. , glass or plexiglass.

It will also be possible to wear a visor rather than a mask, just to breathe a little.

Similarly, in an empty open space, at noon for example, if the remaining employees are sufficiently spaced, they can also take "breaks" and remove the mask.

In the orange zone, a situation that does not concern any department today, two other criteria must be met to be able to remove the mask: the premises must be large and equipped with an air extraction system from above.

Finally, in the 19 departments in the red zone, a final criterion is added: employees must have four square meters per person to be able to replace the mask with a visor.

"The adaptations are relatively limited. The more the virus circulates, the more important preventive measures are needed," said Laurent Pietraszewski, Secretary of State for Occupational Health, to AFP.

"Why make it simple when you can make it complicated ?"

There are also some specific cases of trades or sectors which require specific adaptations.

In the workshop, for example, when the employee has to make "intense physical efforts", if and only if the space is well ventilated and there is "not too high a density of people", the mask can be used. took of.

Outdoors, it is only necessary when respecting the distance of one meter is impossible.

In a cold environment (-18 degrees), discussions will take place this week to find the appropriate methods of prevention (distancing, hygiene before and after leaving these environments).

This new protocol will require some adaptations for companies in a very short time.

But the social partners obtained a few days of tolerance, the time for everything to fall into place.

"Why keep it simple when you can make it complicated?", Deplores François Asselin, president of the CPME, at the microphone of Europe 1. "The document is 25 pages long but it does not specify, for example, what a system is ventilation, nor the pause time during which you can do without the mask. "

The Ministry of Labor also recalls that in the event of non-compliance with the rules, recalcitrant employees may be penalized.