SNCF Réseau found liable for asbestos exposure

SNCF Réseau, a subsidiary of the SNCF group responsible for managing railway infrastructure, was condemned by the Paris court of appeal for failing in its safety obligations regarding 39 employees exposed to asbestos, according to information from L'Informé.

Compensation awarded for anxiety-related harm

The subsidiary was condemned on September 17 last year to pay 8,000 euros to each of the employees as compensation for their anxiety-related harm. Employees of Infrapôle PACA (Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur), responsible for maintaining railway structures for SNCF Réseau, had filed a complaint with the prud'hommes in 2022.

Employees sought compensation for asbestos exposure

These employees, who work primarily on tracks, sought compensation for their anxiety-related harm due to their occupational exposure to asbestos, a fibrous mineral from the silicate family, which can settle in the lungs and cause respiratory diseases, including cancers.

Court overturned previous rejections

Their requests were rejected by the prud'hommes in 2024, before the Paris court of appeal overturned these decisions in September 2026. In one of its rulings from September 17 consulted by AFP, the court stated "that SNCF Réseau did not take the necessary measures to ensure safety and protect the physical and mental health of workers and failed in its safety obligation."

Report criticized SNCF's safety measures

It based its decision in part on a report by a firm commissioned by the CHSCT of Avignon, which concluded in 2018 that "the protection of Infrapôle PACA employees in Avignon against the risk of inhaling asbestos dust is far from effective."

Earlier inspection highlighted safety failures

Another inspection report from 2019, prepared at the request of the CHSCT of Gap, noted that "the absence of marking and location of equipment and materials on site leads to exposure of employees to asbestos dust."

Lawyer highlights SNCF's negligence

For Adeline Mangou, an associate lawyer at the Dellien firm that advised the employees, it was "ruled that the SNCF, despite what it claims, does not take all the sufficient, necessary, and indispensable measures to protect them from these asbestos fibers that are released when they work."

Two employees died from asbestos-related diseases

"There are two people who died from asbestos among the 39 employees who succeeded in their claims, so it is the heirs who obtained damages and interests in these two cases," notes Adeline Mangou. Recalling that these employees are still employed, the lawyer also points out that they presented evidence of their harm, noting that two of them had been victims of asbestos.

SNCF claims compliance with regulations

SNCF Réseau stated to AFP that it "has always ensured compliance with the regulations in place in the implementation of its asbestos policy, developed in conjunction with the competent authorities." The SNCF subsidiary notes that it "is considering the opportunity to file cassation appeals against these decisions."