Energy companies are looking far and wide for workers. One place they ought to be looking is among people with disabilities, according to a new report from Quebec.

Energy companies have tried to recruit U.S. union workers and war veterans to their ranks, but some of those jobs could be filled by Canadians with certain types of disabilities, said Ken Fredeen, a co-author of the report, titled "Rethinking Disability in the Private Sector."

"They need to think more out of the box in terms of the value these people add to the organization," he said.

Executives at energy companies Irving Oil Corp. and Husky Energy Inc. were interviewed for the report from Canada's ministers of finance and workforce development and the nation's Panel on Labour Market Opportunities for Persons With Disabilities. Neither company was available for comment on the report, but Fredeen said safety is a major concern for the oil and gas industry, and some employers in the field might hesitate to hire a worker who could be perceived as being at higher risk for a workplace injury.

"They are more cautious because of the safety issue, and that's a positive sign because it shows they are thinking about safety," he said.

But failing to reach a gold mine of potential employees could be a major loss for companies that are struggling to find workers to fill open jobs.

"Persons with disabilities are part of the under-represented category and another labor supply pool to consider to meet the growing labor shortages in the industry," Canada's Petroleum Human Resources Council said in a statement.

The organization often works with Viable Calgary, an agency in oil-rich Alberta that matches people with disabilities to jobs, including in oil and gas. In large exploration and production firms, for example, a person with a physical or intellectual disability might be capable of holding support or in-office roles.

In many cases, though, energy jobs are not a good match for disabled people.

"The majority of positions that are in demand are field work -- such as those found in drilling and geophysical/seismic work," the Petroleum HR Council said. "These roles often require work outdoors, long and irregular hours, understanding of safety rules and precautions, dealing with potentially hazardous material and equipment, considerable travel and living in isolation. ... That's not to say a person with a physical disability couldn't do the job, but some roles in oil and gas just aren't for everyone -- regardless of whether they have a disability or not."

Click here to read the report.