Comparison of Construction Safety Codes in United States and Honduras
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 119, Issue 3
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to provide managers in multinational construction firms with a comparison between American and Honduran safety approaches, specifically, differences between the Honduran Labor Code and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Act. This research involved an extensive review of the safety laws in both countries and interviews with managers in the Honduran construction industry. Several differences in the safety approaches were identified. It was discovered that the Honduran Labor Code does not protect a large percentage of the construction workforce because most workers are considered temporary. Benefit compensation is low for permanently impaired workers who are covered under the workers' compensation program. Also, worker insurance compensation costs are evenly distributed among different industries; this means that safer industries pay for accidents of high‐risk industries, and safer employers are penalized by having to pay for accidents caused by careless employers. Recommendations are provided to managers in multinational construction companies who are considering project work in Honduras and to the Honduran government for improving the labor regulations pertaining to safety. The findings of the present study may be applicable to other developing countries with similar laws related to worker safety.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
All about OSHA. (1985). Dept. of Labor, and Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Washington, D.C.
2.
Codigo del Trabajo. (no date). Ministerio de Trabajo y Prevision Social, Tegucigalpa, Honduras, 80–104.
3.
Frame, J. D. (1983). International business and global technology. Lexington Books, Lexington, Mass., 37–53.
4.
Fullman, J. B. (1984). “Construction safety, security, and loss prevention.” Wiley series of practical construction guide. John Wiley and Sons, New York, N.Y. 1–49.
5.
Hinze, J. (1990). “Indirect costs associated with construction injuries.” Nat. Conf. on Constr. Safety and Health. University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.
6.
Honduras en Cifras 1986–1988. (1988). Banco Central de Honduras, Tegucigalpa, D.C., Honduras.
7.
Howard‐Reguindin, P. F. (1992). “Honduras,” World bibliographical series, Vol. 139, CLIO Press, Oxford, England, xvii.
8.
“Improved safety programs can halt soaring workmens' compensation costs.” (1991). PEC Reporter, 13.7, 8.
9.
King, R. W., and Hudson, R. (1985). Construction hazard and safety handbook: safety. Butterworths, London, England, 30–42, 417–466.
10.
Laufer, A. (1987). “Construction accident cost and management motivation.” J. Occupational Accidents, 8, 295–315.
11.
Leopold, E., and Leonard, S. “Costs of Construction Accidents to Employers.” J. Occupational Accidents, 8, 273–294.
12.
Levitt, R., and Samelson, N. M. (1987). Construction safety management. N. M. Post, and N. Young, eds., McGraw Hill, New York, N.Y.
13.
MacCollum, D. V. (1990). “Time for change in construction safety.” Professional Safety, 35, 17–20.
14.
Oglesby, C. H., Parker, H. W., and Morriss, J. (1989). Productivity improvement in construction. B. J. Clark and J. Morriss, eds., McGraw‐Hill, New York, N.Y. 362–435.
15.
Ramirez, D. G., and Ramirez, R. A. (1981). “Statement of the laws of Honduras: in matters affecting business.” General Secretariat. Ed. and Trans. Staff of the Secretariat for Legal Affairs, 4th Ed. Organization of American States, Washington, D.C., 87–119.
16.
Recarte, G. A. (1991). “Improving construction safety in Honduras,” MS thesis, Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, Iowa State Univ., Ames, Iowa.
17.
Rudolph, J. D., ed. (1983). “Honduras, a country study.” Area handbook series, Foreign Area Studies, The American University, Washington, D.C., 119.
18.
“USA, country profile 1991–92.” (1991). Annual survey of political and economic background. Economic Intelligence Unit, London, England, 18.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 119 • Issue 3 • September 1993
Pages: 560 - 572
Copyright
Copyright © 1993 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 14, 1993
Published online: Sep 1, 1993
Published in print: Sep 1993
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.