How to finance risk prevention in a metalworking business in Rhône-Alpes?

Summary

It aims to reduce difficult manual handling, the risk of falls and impacts, machine-related risks, exposure to hazardous chemical agents and noise, and to strengthen the safety culture. The reference sheet indicates a rate of 50% of expenses excluding tax for equipment and 70% for training, with a grant ranging from €500 to €25,000. These amounts and conditions must be confirmed in the official sheet applicable at the time of application.

The role of Carsat Rhône-Alpes

Carsat Rhône-Alpes represents National Health Insurance — Occupational Risks in the region to support businesses on prevention. Its portal distinguishes aid by headcount and by risk: chemical risks, falls, ergonomic prevention, sector-specific schemes, and prevention contracts. The rules are specific to each grant; the scheme chosen must therefore match exactly the risk, the sector, and the size of the business.

Who is the Metalworking grant for?

The reference sheet targets businesses located in Rhône-Alpes, under the general scheme as an employer, with between 1 and 49 employees nationwide, according to the SIREN. It specifies that the business must be up to date with its occupational accident and disease contributions, be a member of an occupational health and prevention service (SPST), have a DUER updated within the applicable deadlines, not be subject to any ongoing formal notice or additional contribution, and inform staff representatives of the planned investments. The reference sheet also mentions affiliation with CTN A: this sector-specific point must be checked in the official sheet, since the grant's name is specific to metalworking.

What equipment and actions can be funded?

The reference sheet describes several families of actions, subject to the specifications and exclusions in the official sheet: • Handling and ergonomics: overhead crane with wireless remote control, electric forklift, load balancers, motorized conveyors, part positioners, storage systems, and certain deburring equipment. • Circulation and shared activity: barriers, gates, chicanes, mirrors, signage, and driving-assistance devices fitted as original or manufacturer-installed equipment. • Machine safety: prevention tools and handling aids built into the machine or the set of machines. • Work at height: custom platforms meeting the applicable standard and certain MDS (safe assembly and disassembly) scaffolding, within the specified limits. • Chemical risks: grinding table with suitable capture and filtration, or stripping equipment in an enclosed chamber. • Noise: machine enclosures, soundproofed cabin, acoustic treatment, and, in addition to another eligible measure, certain molded earplugs with training. • Safety training: risk assessment, acting as the competent person for health and safety, analyzing workplace accidents, CACES, and SST. The list is restrictive. The exact equipment, standards, quantity caps, and exclusions must be checked in the official document.

How much can be obtained?

The reference sheet indicates coverage of 50% of the equipment amount excluding tax and 70% of the training amount excluding tax, for a grant ranging from €500 to €25,000. It also mentions a limit of three different types of Prevention Grants over the 2023-2028 period and a combined cap of €75,000. As rules and budgets may change, these historical parameters should not be considered automatically applicable in October 2026: check the sheet and the rules in force before committing expenses.

What expenses are excluded or subject to limits?

The reference sheet excludes investments made through finance leases, leasing, or long-term rental. Certain equipment families are subject to caps or quantity limits, for example scaffolding. Conditions may also apply to equipment configuration, acoustic characteristics, pollutant capture, and recognized training. Do not purchase equipment based solely on its category: check its reference and characteristics in the official list.

How to submit an application?

1. Identify the occupational risk to reduce and describe the planned project.
2. Confirm the business's eligibility, headcount, regional affiliation, and sector.
3. Update the DUER, check SPST membership, and prepare the administrative supporting documents.
4. Check the award sheet for the Metalworking grant and the technical list of eligible expenses.
5. Check the application timetable, budget availability, and the rules on starting expenses.
6. Follow the official process: Carsat Rhône-Alpes states that prevention grant applications are submitted online from the business account on Net-Entreprises.
7. Keep the quotes, invoices, proof of payment, technical documents, and required supporting evidence. The exact procedure and the documents requested must be confirmed on the official portal.

Points to check

The official regional page notes that processing and payment times may be extended due to a high volume of applications. It also states that applications must meet the conditions specific to each grant. Check the available budget, the rules applicable in 2026, and the exact geographic scope of Carsat Rhône-Alpes. The reference sheet includes a CTN A affiliation that deserves particular verification given the "Metalworking" label: do not correct it by inference without consulting the award sheet.

Who can apply for this grant?

The reference sheet targets businesses with 1 to 49 employees, located in Rhône-Alpes and under the general scheme. The sector affiliation and all access conditions must be confirmed in the current official sheet.

What funding rate is indicated?

The reference sheet indicates 50% excluding tax for equipment and 70% excluding tax for training, with a grant of €500 to €25,000. These amounts must be rechecked before applying.

Is leasing or a finance lease accepted?

No, according to the master reference sheet, which excludes investments made through finance leases, leasing, or long-term rental. Nevertheless, check the current version of the official conditions.

Where to submit the application?

Carsat Rhône-Alpes states that prevention grant applications are submitted online from the business account on Net-Entreprises. Follow the instructions specific to the chosen grant.

Check my eligibility

Capital OS helps identify grants to review based on the business profile and the project. The presence of a sheet in the catalog is not a funding decision: confirm the criteria, budget, and procedure with Carsat Rhône-Alpes.

Grant ID

12613

Grant name

Micro-enterprise Prevention Grant - Metalworking

Funder ID

966

Funder name

CARSAT Rhône-Alpes

Purpose of the grant

Support the metalworking sector in order to:

reduce manual handling of loads and/or uncomfortable or strenuous working positions; reduce the risk of slipping, falling, tripping, impact, or crushing linked to shared activity between pedestrians and equipment and/or vehicles; improve safety on fixed machines (excluding handling or lifting equipment); improve safety for work at height; reduce employees' exposure to hazardous or CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic) chemical agents; reduce employees' exposure to noise nuisance; upgrade professionals' skills in workplace health and safety culture.

Eligible operations

• Equipment to reduce manual handling of loads and/or working positions:

Overhead crane with wireless remote control (2T < max payload =< 5T); Electric forklift (2T < max payload =< 6T); Load balancer, self-balancing manipulator; Automatic strapping machine; Motorized conveyor (rail, roller, ball); Storage unit for bending tools (PPH); Magnetic clamping plate for parts; Part positioner; Equipment facilitating the storage and handling of materials (tubes, sections, sheet metal) and tooling: shelving, cantilever racks, bar racks, pallet racks, drawer racks, excluding lifting gear (slings, etc.); Purchase of a dynamic storage unit (vertical carousel) to optimize storage (exclusion: stacker crane); Automatic deburring machine (noise level < 80dbA).

• Equipment to reduce the risk of slipping, falling, tripping, impact, or crushing linked to shared activity between pedestrians and equipment and/or vehicles:

Equipment for arranging flow crossing areas (barrier, gate, chicane, mirror); Horizontal and vertical signage equipment (marking, lighting); Warning systems and driving-assistance systems on handling equipment (radar, camera) - condition: equipment fitted as original or added by the manufacturer.

• Equipment to improve safety on fixed machines (excluding handling or lifting equipment):

prevention tools: trimming tools (INRS brochure ED6243), 3-position pedals on rolling machines (INRS brochure 6122 - §8.3), hydraulic press brake: sheet metal support during bending, rail-mounted storage for punches/dies, chip recovery tools handling aid (upstream/downstream) that is an integral part of the machine or the set of machines: stacker, destacker, dedicated trolley, jib, motorized conveyors.

• Equipment to prevent the risk of falls from height:

"custom" platforms for work at height meeting the NF standard (see INRS brochure ED6110); purchase of "Safe Assembly and Disassembly" (MDS) footed scaffolding (limited to 1 set of the same model and same manufacturer); purchase of MDS mobile scaffolding (limited to 3 units over the 2023-2028 period).

• Equipment to reduce employees' exposure to hazardous or CMR chemical agents:

Grinding table fitted with a suction worktop with grating-type covering, fixed rear panel, hinged side panels, top hood, drawer for collecting coarse dust. The suction network includes a pollutant capture and filtration system that discharges outside the building; Spray stripping in an enclosed chamber, "ROTAJET" type.

• Equipment to reduce employees' exposure to noise nuisance:

enclosure for noisy machinery soundproofed cabin for an operator's workstation; Acoustic treatment of premises (perforated walls or ceilings)

• In addition to a measure listed above only: individualized molded earplugs with integrated hearing filter, with training on wearing, use, and maintenance
• Training to improve the workplace health and safety culture:

Occupational risk assessment training; "Carrying out the role of competent person for health and safety at work" training; "Analyzing a workplace accident" training; CACES training; SST training.

Investments made through finance leases, leasing, or in the form of long-term rental are not eligible.

Conditions

The employer must:

be a member of an occupational health and prevention service (SPST); have completed and updated its single occupational risk assessment document (DUER) within the last year (businesses with fewer than 11 employees are exempt from this annual update requirement) and keep it available for the regional fund to review if requested: not be subject to any ongoing formal notice or additional contribution for any of its establishments; inform staff representative bodies of the planned investments and of the funding application made to the regional fund.

Amount / form of support

Grant representing:

50% of the excluding-tax amount of sums committed for equipment; 70% of the excluding-tax amount of sums committed for training.

It will range between €500 and €25,000. A business may receive a maximum of 3 different types of Prevention Grants from National Health Insurance - Occupational Risks over the 2023-2028 period, within a limit of €75,000.

Beneficiaries

Businesses:

companies and associations (public sector bodies are excluded); located in the Rhône-Alpes region only; contributing to the general Social Security scheme as an employer; with a nationwide headcount between 1 and 49 employees (according to the SIREN); up to date with their occupational accident and disease contributions; falling under CTN A.

The following garage risk codes are not eligible:

501ZF: import, sale, maintenance, repair of branded motor vehicles; 502ZH: Breakdown service, towing of motor vehicles.

Businesses that have received a prevention contract, or have received one during the two years preceding their application, are not eligible.

End date

0000-00-00 00:00:00

Additional sources

See the presentation of the metalworking micro-enterprise grant on the CARSAT Rhône-Alpes website. https://www.carsat-ra.fr/home/entreprise-nv/prevenir-risques-professionn/financer-des-actions-de-preven-1/aides-financieres-pour-les-entre.html 2026-07-10