Canadian Occupational Safety

26 Canadian Occupational Safety www.cos-mag.com OIL AND GAS By Linda Johnson C anada's oil and gas industry will face critical labour short- ages over the next decade, according to a new report released by the Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada. e report estimates workforce demand in the industry will increase between nine and 20 per cent during the next 10 years. With retirement and turnover taken into account, the industry will need to hire between 125,000 and 150,000 workers by 2022. However, based on current labour trends, the industry will have a tough time fi nding those workers, says Cheryl Knight, executive director of the council, which deals with workforce development and labour market issues in the Canadian petro- leum industry. " e period when we experienced the greatest shortages was in 2007," she says. "We expect to move into that period of shortages by 2014. And we expect a gap between supply and demand throughout the forecast period to 2022." e report, " e Decade Ahead: Labour Market Outlook to 2022 for Canada's Oil and Gas Industry," sees the shortfall primarily as the result of a lack of skills training and talent. "Skill shortages are critical, and every sector will be aff ected," Knight says. " ere are not enough workers with the needed experience and qualifi cations." While she could not comment on whether workers' concerns regarding health and safety may be a factor in the labour shortfall, Knight says the industry does pose risks not present in other occupations. Oil and gas is in the natural resources sector, she says. Some work- ers are simply not interested in, or suited to, a job that requires physical work dealing with the elements and equipment, and involves travelling by truck from site to site. "All of those features raise questions of the risk of incidents that you may not fi nd if you're working in an offi ce environment," she says. Cameron MacGillivray, president and CEO of Enform, says the oil and gas industry regards safety as a top priority and strives always to improve. e Certifi cate of Recognition (COR) program serves to verify that a com- pany has a working health and safety management system in place. Enform- trained auditors audit COR companies to judge actual performance. "Not only must there be a program on paper, it must be working in prac- tice," he says. " at program alone, we think, contributes to a 40 to 60 per cent reduction in injuries and fatalities — for COR companies versus compa- nies not recognized with certifi cates." He adds recent statistics indicate safety is improving across the indus- try. From 2005 to 2010, the industry's injury and lost-time incident rate declined across the western provinces by 20 to 60 per cent. Oil and gas com- panies are increasingly focusing on new approaches, like process safety, he says. Knight says, workers' environmen- tal values may also help explain the workforce shortfall. e industry is cyclical — oil and gas prices can cause activity levels to rise and fall quickly — and much of it is seasonal. "It's fi eld-based, outdoor work, and you have to deal with weather condi- tions, which may put some people off . Other people adapt their lifestyles around it," she says. Linda Johnson is a freelance writer based in Toronto. You can contact her at lindajohnson@sympatico.ca. PIPELINE OR NOT, LABOUR SHORTAGE LOOMS Get quick access to occupational health and safety law federally and provincially. Every HANDI-GUIDE includes the complete text of all relevant statutes and regulations. NEW HANDI-GUIDE TO FEDERAL WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY LEGISLATION ORDER # 985531-64189 $54.95 HANDI-GUIDE TO SASKATCHEWAN'S OH & S ACT AND REGULATIONS ORDER # 985476-64189 $35.95 HANDI-GUIDE TO ALBERTA'S OH & S ACT, REGULATION AND CODE ORDER # L895065-53-64189 $34.95 HANDI-GUIDE TO BRITISH COLUMBIA'S OHS REGULATION ORDER # 985543-64189 $46.95 HANDI-GUIDE TO MANITOBA'S WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT AND REGULATIONS ORDER # 984946-64189 $44.95 HANDI-GUIDE TO ATLANTIC CANADA'S WORKPLACE HEALTH & SAFETY LEGISLATION ORDER # 985566-64189 $89.95 ACCIDENT PREVENTION STARTS HERE THE HATSCAN HANDI-GUIDE SERIES AVAILABLE RISK-FREE FOR 30 DAYS Order online: www.carswell.com Call Toll-Free: 1-800-387-5164 In Toronto: 416-609-3800 Shipping and handling are extra. Prices subject to change without notice and subject to applicable taxes.

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