Asia-Pacific employers want more checks on safety workers

OPITO has published research showing that more than two-thirds of energy and mining employers in Asia-Pacific require extra training or checks before accepting workers from adjacent safety-critical sectors. In Malaysia, 74% of respondents said globally aligned training and safety standards are the most effective way to build trust in a more mobile workforce.

The findings are from OPITO's One Safety Vision report, based on a survey of 390 workers and employers across Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The study examined whether skills and training can move more easily between sectors including oil and gas, renewables and mining as employers respond to changing labour needs.

Across the six markets, 76% of employers said they were confident workers and contractors had the training, skills and behaviours needed to work safely in hazardous environments. Even so, more than two-thirds said they always or often require additional training, certification or assessment before accepting workers from adjacent sectors.

That mismatch points to a wider recognition problem. The report found that 57% of respondents said trust breaks down when people move across sectors, projects, employers or geographies because training or certification is not recognised.

Workers reported similar concerns. Among those unlikely to move into an adjacent safety-critical sector, 59% cited uncertainty over whether their training would be recognised as a main reason.

The research suggests the issue extends beyond recruitment. Some 61% of workers said greater trust and confidence in workforce competence would lead to safer working practices, while 59% of employers said stronger confidence in workforce skills would improve confidence in project delivery.

Almost half of employers also said better confidence in workforce competence could reduce delays or downtime. More than a third of workers said they had repeated training, certification or assessment for roles where they already had relevant experience when moving between sectors, employers, projects or regions.

Recognition gap

The report points to stronger alignment in standards as one possible remedy. Across APAC, 61% of respondents said globally aligned training and standards were the most effective way to support confidence in a workforce that can move more easily between sectors, employers, projects and geographies.

Another 55% said clearer recognition of existing certifications would help. In Malaysia, support for globally aligned standards was higher than the regional figure at 74%, compared with 68% in Vietnam and 54% in both Australia and Indonesia.

The survey also found willingness on both sides of the labour market. Some 53% of employers said they would be likely to consider workers from adjacent safety-critical sectors if skills became harder to find, and the same proportion of workers said they would consider moving into other safety-critical sectors.

Among workers who were open to or neutral about moving into an adjacent sector, 60% said evidence that their experience would be valued would give them the confidence to make the move. Among employers and operators open to hiring or deploying workers from adjacent sectors, 54% said practical competence assessments would give them confidence to do so.

Industry shift

The findings come as energy systems in the region become more interconnected, bringing workforces from oil and gas, renewables and other industrial sectors into closer contact. The report argues that industries should work together to map overlapping skills and competencies while maintaining training requirements specific to each working environment.

Stephen Marcos Jones, Chief Executive Officer of OPITO, said: “As sectors like renewables and oil and gas converge around tomorrow's integrated energy systems, there is an opportunity for a mutual exchange of knowledge and skills for the benefit of all. Yet workers need to know that their experience will be recognised when they work across countries or industries, and employers need confidence that safety standards will be consistent across more diverse workforces.”

He said the survey results gave the organisation a clearer view of where employers and workers see the main barriers to labour mobility.

Jones added: “Our goal is to work with industry partners to develop a shared language of safety, so skills can travel more widely. While 61% of respondents across APAC identify globally aligned training and safety standards as key to building trust in a more mobile workforce, here in Malaysia, that rises to 74% - giving us a clear focus for the discussions at OPITO Global in Kuala Lumpur.”