Quand la médecine du travail produit des données. L’histoire de l’enquête Sumer entre enjeux de production de connaissances et enjeux de légitimation professionnelle

The history of the French survey Surveillance médicale des expositions des salariés aux risques professionnels (Sumer – medical surveillance of workers’ expositions to occupational risks) exposes the tensions inherent in the quantification of occupational health issues. The data collection protocol relies on non-professional investigators: occupational health doctors. Their involvement sheds light on the relevance of a surveillance system organized around a field-based knowledge of working conditions and occupational risks. By becoming a national reference on exposure to occupational risks, Sumer faces strong scientific and political criticisms, namely from employers’ representatives. Responding to these criticisms has been an opportunity to gain statistical quality and legitimacy, thanks to a strong statistical guidance. However, recent evolutions of the prevention system question the conditions of data collecting as well as the role of doctors in the process.