Supply chains and responsibility for OHS management in the Western Australian resources sector
| Pages | 564-575 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/ER-11-2011-0067 |
| Date | 30 September 2013 |
| Published date | 30 September 2013 |
| Author | Susanne Bahn,Al Rainnie |
| Subject Matter | HR & organizational behaviour,Industrial/labour relations |
Supply chains and responsibility
for OHS management in
the Western Australian
resources sector
Susanne Bahn
Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia, and
Al Rainnie
Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analysehuman resource supply chains and theresponsibility
of occupational health and safety (OHS) management using Australian evidence from two unrelated
research studies in the resources sector.
Design/methodology/approach – The analysis is based on additional findings from the research
projects using qualitative case study methodologies. The paper draws on interviews with the underground
mining manager in study 1 and the OHS manager in study 2, together with current literature on supply
chains and OHS responsibility in Australia.
Findings – The paper uses examples drawn from two research studies conducted in the resources
sector in 2011 to present the notion that there has been a shift in responsibility and management of
OHS from the top of the supply chain to the bottom.
Research limitations/implications – The paper draws on two unrelated studies that investigated
different issues in OHS management. There is a need to undertake specific research to confirm
the argument that suggests that the OHS management systems are improving for the bottom of the
human resources supply chain in the resources sector.
Practical implications – Findings suggest that in the middletier resources sector the bottom of the
human resourcessupply chains haverobust OHS management systemsand induction training,contrary
to the weakening of OHS managementin typical supply chains in other sectors.
Originality/value – Unlike manufacturing, healthcare, the public sector and transport, there is
little research conducted in the resources sector researching supply chains and OHS management.
This paper provides limited evidence of a differing picture in the resources sector than other
industries; however, it argues that further studies should be conducted.
Keywords Australia, Supply chains, Human resource management,
Occupational health and safety management, Resources sector
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
In recent years there have been significant advances made in the study of supply
chains and, more broadly, networked forms of organisation. However, in much of the
literature there is, implicitly or explicitly, an assumption that these structures are
headed by large or dominant organisations, with si ze and respective power declining
the further down the chain/network one descends. It is further suggested that the
relative power of individuals and groups within these organisations declines in line
with their relative subordinacy, as do their terms and conditions of employment,
including occupational health and safety (OHS) (see, e.g. Johnstone and Q uinlan, 2006;
James et al., 2007). Drawing on material from two case studies in the Western Australia
(WA) resources sector, we want to argue in this paper that this picture is overly
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0142-5455.htm
Received 10 November 2011
Revised 10 May 2012
21 August 2012
Accepted 29 August 2012
Employee Relations
Vol. 35 No. 6, 2013
pp. 564-575
rEmeraldGroup PublishingLimited
0142-5455
DOI 10.1108/ER-11-2011-0067
564
ER
35,6
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