UKCSOFFSHOREWORKFORCEDEMOGRAPHICSREPORT2014
page8
4. TotalOffshoreWorkforce
Thecoreoffshoreworkforceaccounts for justover sixpercent (27,749)of thetotal numberofemployees
3
working
in,orasaresultof, theUKoffshoreoilandgas industry.Thisfigureincreasestoalmost14percentwhencalculating
the total offshoreworkforceas apercentageof theoverallworkforce in2013.
Figure1: BreakdownofOnshoreandOffshorePersonnel in2013
Atotal of 61,892workers travelledoffshoreon theUKCS in2013, thehighest number since2006whendatawere
first analysedandan8.6per cent increase from2012when56,982employees travelledoffshore.
Whilst this is not the highest year-on-year increase since this report has been produced, it is arguably a higher
than expected figure given the reduction in helicopter capacity resulting from the suspension of the entire
Super Puma fleet on 23 October 2012 following a helicopter ditching on the UKCS the day before.
This suspensionwas lifted on certain AS332L, L1 and L2 variant helicopters on 26 October 2012with a phased
reintroductionof theEC225model
4
.
The reduction inhelicopter seat capacitywas compoundedwhen, on23August 2013, therewas a fatal accident
involving a Super Puma L2 which resulted in the tragic death of four offshore workers. As a result of this, the
Helicopter Safety Steering Group (HSSG)
5
recommended the temporary precautionary grounding of the entire
Super Puma fleet. This was implemented throughout the industry but, within seven days, with no evidence to
support thecontinuedsuspension, the temporarygroundingended.
86%
8%
6%
RemainingWorkforce (Onshore)
Non-CoreOffshorePersonnel
CoreOffshorePersonnel
3.
Oil&GasUK’s EconomicReport 2013
cites 450,000 jobs supportedby the industry. This includes those
employedbyoperating companies; thoseemployed in the supply chain; jobs inducedby theactivityof the
industry; and those involved in theexport of goods andservices. The report is available todownloadat
4.
StepChange in Safety’sG-CHCNHelicopterDitching Incident Fact Sheet
canbedownloadedat
5.
TheHelicopter SafetySteeringGroup (HSSG) is abodywithin the industry’s StepChange inSafety initiative.
Its remit is toworkproactively to identifyandaddress cross-industry issues aroundhelicopter safety,
related tohelicopter operations in theUKoil andgas industry.
Source: VantagePOB
