| Abstract: | Traditionally occupational health and safety (OH&S) enquiry has viewed the world of work as if it comprised of blue-collar male workers employed on a full-time basis in large organisations. However, to continue to analyze workplace health and safety within the narrow confines of unionized labour situated in large organisations is to ignore the health and safety in non-unionised small businesses. Therefore, this paper challenges existing OH&S research by investigating the compliance experiences of small businesses. The paper also demonstrates that small business employers are becoming increasingly reliant on their accountant to provide a range of compliance advisory services, including OH&S. However, the notion that small accounting firms act as ‘intermediary advisors’ between the OH&S regulatory agencies and the small business sector may influence the way in which regulatory agencies achieve OH&S compliance in small workplaces. Finally, the study reinforces the need for a more flexible approach to OH&S in the small business sector. |
