Analysis of Laws and Regulations Related to Ergonomics and Human Factors in Latin American Countries

Maldonado-Macías A.A.; Morales M.S.; Guadalupe A.A.; Rodríguez M.; Álvarez D.L. · Human Factors and Ergonomics in Latin American Countries: Developments, Applications and Approaches (2026) · DOI: 10.1201/9781003582014-29

Resumen

This chapter presents a comparative analysis of the main laws and regulations related to ergonomics and human factors (HFE) in Latin American countries that are members of the Latin American Union of Ergonomics and Human Factors (ULAERGO). In addition, international standards and tools, such as those from the Internacional Organization for Standardization (ISO) are also considered. Several strategies were employed to collect data, including the developed of an electronic questionnaire distributed to the presidents of the Latin American Ergonomics Associations, and at least one representative from each country. In addition, a series of remote interviews were conducted with the presidents, and two specialists from non-associated countries also participated. Supplementary information was gathered through the official websites and digital libraries of standards published by each government. As a result, 293 regulations from 17 countries were compiled. The analysis compares the number of laws, decrees and ISO standards approved by each country and presents the proportion of regulations by HFE discipline are examined and discussed, including a comparative summary of the regulations governing the different load limits in Latin America, as well as the scope of the corporate management and the verification methods used. Finally, key recommendations are proposed to harmonize practices and improve the implementation of regional legislation.