Prepared and edited by: Dr. Amin Padash, President of the Iranian Scientific Association of Health, Safety and Environment Management and Engineering (HSEME)

The terms HSE and HSEQ are often used in industries like oil and gas, especially in activities such as drilling and FPSO (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) operations. While they share some similarities in their focus on safety and risk management, there are subtle but important differences between them, particularly in terms of scope and application. Let's break it down in detail using the example of drilling and FPSO operations:

HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment)

HSE refers to the overarching framework focused on ensuring the health, safety, and environmental protection of employees, contractors, and the environment where operations occur. It's a broader, foundational concept that ensures compliance with laws, regulations, and industry standards related to health, safety, and the environment. The core principles of HSE are:

• Health: Ensuring that employees work in a healthy environment that minimizes risks of illness or injury. In drilling and FPSO operations, this might include ensuring the availability of medical support on-site and managing potential exposure to harmful chemicals or working conditions (e.g., noise, heat).
• Safety: Reducing risks of accidents, incidents, and injuries in the workplace. For example, safety protocols in drilling operations would include procedures to deal with blowouts, equipment failures, or fires. In FPSO operations, safety measures could include emergency evacuation plans, fire suppression systems, and safety drills.
• Environment: Preventing or minimizing harm to the environment. For instance, drilling could involve preventing oil spills, managing waste fluids, or reducing air emissions. For FPSOs, it would ensure that discharges into the sea, such as produced water or ballast, are managed according to environmental regulations.

In drilling and FPSO operations, HSE focuses on reducing operational risks and ensuring safe practices to protect human lives and minimize environmental impacts. Specific measures include using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), safe handling of hazardous materials, and regular training on emergency response.

Key HSE Activities in Drilling and FPSO:

• Conducting risk assessments and implementing controls to reduce identified risks.
• Monitoring environmental impacts like air quality, water contamination, and waste disposal.
• Ensuring compliance with international safety standards (e.g., ISO 45001, ISO 14001).
• Emergency response planning for fire, explosion, or oil spill incidents.

HSEQ (Health, Safety, Environment, and Quality)

HSEQ is an expanded version of HSE, where the Quality component is added to the mix. Quality here refers to the systematic approach to ensuring that the services, products, or processes meet predefined standards, specifications, and customer requirements.

In the context of drilling and FPSO operations, HSEQ covers the health, safety, and environmental aspects and the quality of the operations and services. This could be related to:

• Quality of drilling: Ensuring that the drilling process adheres to design specifications, performs efficiently, and meets reservoir management goals.
• Quality of FPSO operations: Ensuring that the production, storage, and offloading of oil or gas meet contractual and regulatory specifications and do not degrade the output quality (e.g., preventing contamination of oil or gas, ensuring product purity).
• Quality Management Systems (QMS): Ensuring that all activities (including maintenance, equipment handling, and personnel performance) are performed in a standardized and controlled manner to meet operational, safety, and regulatory requirements.

The inclusion of Quality adds another layer of rigor to operations. For example, in FPSO operations, quality might mean ensuring that the offshore vessel’s structural integrity is regularly inspected and maintained and that production processes are optimized for both safety and efficiency.

Key HSEQ Activities in Drilling and FPSO:

• Quality assurance and control checks on equipment and operations, e.g., ensuring drilling equipment meets technical specifications and is properly maintained.
• Continuous improvement practices, such as implementing Total Quality Management (TQM) or Six Sigma methodologies to enhance operational performance.
• Ensuring the quality of production output, whether in terms of purity or yield, while also minimizing waste and optimizing resource use.

Key Differences Between HSE and HSEQ in Drilling and FPSO Operations

1. Scope of Focus:
• HSE focuses primarily on operations' health, safety, and environmental aspects. Its main goal is to ensure that operations are carried out in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.
• HSEQ incorporates Quality into the equation, broadening the focus to include the assurance that processes, products, and services meet required standards and specifications and addressing health, safety, and environmental concerns.
2. Operational Implications:
• HSE would be concerned with the safety procedures during the drilling process (e.g., blowout preventers, fire drills, safety equipment) and ensuring environmental protection (e.g., oil spill response, waste management).
• HSEQ would focus on safety and environmental protection and ensure that the entire drilling process (e.g., well integrity, drill bit performance, and reservoir management) meets operational quality standards. On an FPSO, HSEQ would ensure that the production processes maintain high-quality outputs, including the purity of extracted hydrocarbons and compliance with specifications.
3. Management Systems:
• HSE management systems are generally geared toward compliance with legal, regulatory, and industry standards for safety and environmental protection.
• HSEQ management systems, on the other hand, often incorporate quality management principles (e.g., ISO 9001) alongside HSE systems, ensuring that all aspects of operations, from design and engineering to production and decommissioning, meet quality expectations.
4. Compliance vs. Optimization:
• HSE is often driven by the need to comply with local, national, and international regulations, ensuring minimal risk to personnel and the environment.
• HSEQ, while also ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, takes a more proactive approach to driving operational excellence through continuous improvement, efficiency, and quality optimization.

Case Example: Drilling and FPSO Operations

Drilling Operation:

• HSE: A drilling company may ensure that workers wear PPE, that the rig has proper firefighting equipment, and that the waste produced during drilling is disposed of safely to avoid environmental contamination.
• HSEQ: The same company would also implement quality control systems to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the wellbore design, the performance of the drilling equipment, and the safety of the operation. This might include using quality-certified equipment, running performance optimization software, and adhering to strict technical standards for every phase of the drilling process.

FPSO Operation:

• HSE: For an FPSO, HSE would focus on safety protocols such as evacuation procedures, spill containment systems, and air quality control within the confined space of the offshore unit.
• HSEQ: HSEQ would ensure that the oil and gas processing aboard the FPSO adheres to quality specifications, with regular inspection and testing of the equipment, monitoring of the output quality, and rigorous maintenance schedules to ensure optimal performance of the FPSO systems (e.g., storage tanks, gas compressors, etc.).

Conclusion:

The primary difference between HSE and HSEQ is that HSE is focused exclusively on health, safety, and environmental matters, while HSEQ includes a strong quality management component alongside these concerns. In drilling and FPSO operations, the focus on HSE ensures a safe and compliant operational environment. In contrast, the inclusion of quality in HSEQ ensures that operations are not only safe but also efficient and effective and meet operational performance standards.