In many contexts where resources are finite, the recycling of different waste products has proved to be economically valuable. This is certainly true for the dismantling of large ocean- going ships at the end of their productive use with the disposal process referred to as ‘shipbreaking’. Countries including India and Bangladesh have recently come to dominate the global shipbreaking industry in terms of the tonnage of scrapped and recycled ships. The work in this industry is hazardous, posing significant risks to employee health and safety (H&S). Much attention has focused on the occupational injuries and fatalities, typically portraying a bleak set of safety standards in shipbreaking in both countries. Rather than taking an industry- wide perspective common in prior research, this study investigates adoption of health and safety practices of shipbreaking firms in Bangladesh, to examine how such organisations adopt H&S practices overtime to ensure workplace safety, and their reasons for doing so.

The study employs a qualitative methodology using a case study approach. The case involved the integrative H&S interventions of seven firms in shipbreaking industry of Bangladesh. Semi-structured interviews along with observation and documentation were used for data collection. The research participants were 21 top management (strategic) and middle management (operational) decision makers in seven shipbreaking yards along. In addition, four governmental officials, six industry experts, and one NGO representative were interviewed. Secondary data from government documents and news reports complemented interview data. Data analysis techniques used included two cycles of coding, cross case comparisons among shipbreaking firms and category development through theoretical saturation.

The thesis identifies three approaches to adoption of H&S practices in shipbreaking operation: a) Continuous Adoption of H&S practices; b) Discontinuous Adoption of H&S practices; and, c) Random Adoption of H&S practices. Driven by safety related prioritization,

this study shows empirically that required level of accommodated and commissioned shipbreaking operations and ultimate H&S performance differ according to the approach used by firms to adopt H&S practices over time through forming varying alignment between H&S practices adopted. The results from this study provide policy makers, the media, and safety practitioners with the opportunity to showcase best practices, whilst also identifying how safety in shipbreaking can be improved for firms that are low in their safety performance along with addressing the H&S performance of the entire industry.