The company has reviewed offshore operations

Workers' leaders fear reductions announced by the multi-national earlier this month could jeopardise safety.

Particular concerns have been raised over plans to phase out dedicated platform maintenance teams and replace them with roving repair crews covering several facilities.

Shell claims the change will improve safety and will not involve cutting down on time spent on maintenance.

It is imperative that the health and safety of the offshore workforce is paramount in any cost-cutting exercise," he said Graham Tran Amicus

Amicus, the largest union in the offshore sector, will raise the issues with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in Aberdeen.

Regional officer Graham Tran said the union's fears were real.

"It is imperative that the health and safety of the offshore workforce is paramount in any cost-cutting exercise," he said.

"The bottom line is that Shell want to improve efficiency to increase their profits from the sector.

"Frankly, we will have a serious problem with that if it endangers offshore workers.

"Today's meeting will enable us to put forward our concerns constructively and we are hopeful that the HSE will be in a position to address them to our satisfaction."

Job cuts

The job cuts in the company's North Sea operations are part of an offshore review aimed at boosting production and raising efficiency.

Shell has said staff and contractor jobs will be lost through natural wastage and voluntary retirement but acknowledges some redundancies will take place.

On safety, a spokesman for Shell Expro said: "The time spent on maintenance will not be affected, only the way we go about operations.

"We believe this approach is going to be safer and a more efficient way of working."