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Objectives: 

To investigate why boards of directors engage in occupational health and safety (OHS) and what influences their level of engagement.

Methods: 

Thirty-four board members and chief executive officers at large companies from the manufacturing, construction, trade, and health/social care sectors were interviewed. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted.

Results: 

Five drivers organized along a continuum explain why boards engage: legal compliance, untoward events, external expectations/regulations, business drivers, and moral values. Certain factors influence the level of engagement: board's OHS competence, owner's agenda, and competing needs.

Conclusions: 

Boards continuously prioritize among multiple foci. If a board's total engagement is likened to a pie, the size of the OHS slice will depend on the drivers, as well as on the influencing factors. We suggest that even boards with many drivers can down-prioritize OHS under certain conditions.