Shortage of skilled labour 'affecting personal safety in oil industry'

A new report has highlighted the personal safety risks associated with a shortage of skilled labour in the international oil industry.

The Global Oil & Gas Workforce Survey: Expectations for hires and pay rates in the oil and gas industry 2013 report, conducted by OilCareers.com and Air Energi, interviewed more than 170,000 oil and gas professionals around the world.

The oil and gas sectors are facing pressure on the number of experienced workers available, the study found.

In particular, the liquefied natural gas and subsea sectors have been hit by the shortage of highly trained manpower.

While this benefits workers in terms of higher salaries and compensations, it also puts those in the industry at greater risk of personal safety breaches.

The report highlighted a terrorist attack in Algeria as an example of the economic and political risks that can also surround the sector.

OilCareers.com managing director Mark Guest said: "The recent tragic events in Algeria have underscored existing safety concerns throughout the oil and gas industry.

"Positions in certain geographic areas have historically attracted higher compensation to reflect the safety issues tied to the work location. It is clear, though, that the industry must concentrate on developing the workforce in order to ensure knowledge is passed on and the required experience is in place to manage the world's oil and gas reserves."

Air Energi group executive chairman Ian Langley added that the skill shortage is a "major challenge" for the extraction industry.

He said: "It's clear that without the right people on the ground we won't get the reserves out of the ground."

An Aberdeen-based oil and gas consultancy recently launched a programme of seminars based on performance and personal safety in the industry.