The government sought to establish, at the national level, a set of indicators designed to track changes in public health in France. Since its creation in 1998, the Department of Occupational Health (DST) at the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS) has focused on developing surveillance programs to regularly produce such data and thereby contribute to improving understanding of occupational risks. Data sources have expanded over time, and in 2009 the DST established a program for the regular production of indicators designed to provide a national overview of health issues related to the occupational environment, as well as their evolution over time. These indicators are derived from various sources and will be published regularly on the InVS website (www.invs.sante.fr). This first report focuses on the risks associated with occupational exposure to asbestos. In this document, the reader will find data on asbestos exposure and its trends across different populations (men, women, working-age individuals, retirees); they will also find information on the health impact of this exposure: incidence and mortality from pleural mesothelioma, proportions of bronchopulmonary cancers attributable to exposure, and non-cancerous respiratory diseases by population group (age, occupations, sectors of activity); A number of indicators regarding the post-occupational follow-up of exposed workers and the treatment of these conditions are also included in this summary report, along with a comparison to expected numbers. Finally, a number of questions warranting further investigation are raised. (R.A.)