Comparative study of Japanese and Nepalese safety standards in building construction projects: Evidence from two case projects in Nepal

Abstract

This study compares construction safety requirements and their implementation in two building projects in Nepal: the Dhulikhel Hospital Trauma and Emergency Center (DHTEC), a JICA-funded project implemented by Japanese contractor and consultant organizations, and Hotel Mechi Crown, a Nepalese-owned commercial building. A comparative dual-case, mixed-methods design was adopted. The Japanese framework (Industrial Safety and Health Act, its Ordinance and JICA safety guidance) and the Nepalese framework (Labour Act, 2017, Labour Rules, 2018 and NBC 114) were compared parameter by parameter, and both sites were assessed with a 209-item field safety audit checklist, a questionnaire survey of 60 technical and supervisory personnel (30 per project), key informant interviews and project document review. Audit results were expressed as a Percentage Safety Compliance Index (PSCI), and questionnaire data were analyzed with Cronbach’s alpha, Mann–Whitney U, chi-square and Spearman tests and the Relative Importance Index (RII). DHTEC achieved an overall PSCI of 86.1% against 52.2% at Hotel Mechi Crown (χ² = 56.52, p < 0.001), with the widest gaps in work at height, scaffolding and excavation, where the domestic project scored below 50%. DHTEC respondents also reported significantly stronger safety management practices (mean 3.78 against 2.80, p < 0.001, r = 0.69), although the two respondent groups did not differ in role, experience, education or training. The gap analysis showed that Nepal’s framework sets general duties but lacks the construction-specific technical detail of the Japanese Ordinance, and that the Japanese standard reaches the work face mainly through the contract. The highest-ranked barriers were the high cost of safety measures (RII = 0.793), the absence of a separate safety budget (0.750) and time pressure (0.737). Six Japanese practices, led by the toolbox meeting combined with hazard prediction (TBM-KY, composite RII = 0.764), were judged directly applicable. The study recommends construction-specific regulation, priced safety items in contracts and the phased adoption of procedural Japanese practices.