Compliance with Mexican NOMs and fine avoidance are reason enough to seek out the experts. (Check out the NOM matrix below)

Mexico is unparalleled in its ability to provide manufacturers a nearshore option that combines a favorable cost structure, and a plentiful labor force that is capable of executing operations that run the gamut from simple assembly to the machining of close tolerance parts for applications in sophisticated industries such as aerospace and medical devices. Putting all the pieces in place to initiate and maintain manufacturing operations in Mexico, however, may be a financial and experiential stretch for companies that have limited resources and international experience. From a legal perspective, companies that want to do business in Mexico should have familiarity with, or knowledge of, the country’s Commercial Code, it’s General Business Entities Act, and it’s Foreign Investment Law among others, or it should have experts available to them that can serve as guides.

Another area in which companies that should have familiarity is concerned with what are known as Mexican NOMs, or Normas Oficiales Mexicanas. NOMs are technical rules and regulations that have been established by the government that allow for the objective measurement of a company’s compliance with organizational, and health and safety standards in Mexico that have been put into place to maintain the integrity and quality of the workplace. For instance, Mexican NOMs address issues that have to do with physical safety on the production plant floor. Among the many rules and regulations that Mexican NOMs specifically in this area are:

  • industrial building location and quality
  • fire protection
  • machinery and equipment safety
  • waste and hazardous material handling

Mexican NOMs also spell out regulations that are to be adhered to in the area of worker health. For instance there are Normas Oficiales Mexicanas that address:

  • noise in the workplace
  • exposure to electromagnetic and ionizing radiation
  • illumination in the workplace
  • vibration created by industrial activity

The experts have you covered

Professionals capable of ensuring that foreign manufacturers comply with Mexican NOMs can be found among staff employed by Mexican shelter companies such as the Tecma Group. Health and safety staff work with manufacturing client company personnel to educate them as regards to the measures that must be taken and the efforts that must be consistently made to comply with Mexican NOMs. Compliance is important, as non-adherence to Mexican NOMs can result in fines that can be significant and economically deleterious to a company’s bottom-line.

Professionals that can be accessed through a relationship with the Tecma Group of Companies can effectively and successfully guide manufacturers through the Mexican NOM maze, by keeping them abreast of information in the area of government health and safety mandates in the areas of:

  • studies
  • programs
  • safety measures
  • follow-up procedures and requirements
  • equipment
  • training
  • authorizations
  • recordkeeping

By following the link provided, companies that are interested in setting up operations in Mexico can gain a basic understanding of the complex and comprehensive nature of the Mexican system by viewing critical information on Mexican NOMs prepared by MexicanLaws.com:

NOM Requirements Matrix for the Official Mexican Standards for Occupational Health and Safety