We have been cursed to live in interesting times. Historically, periods of true economic stability are rare, but we seem to be in the midst of a particularly turbulent decade. When the future seems uncertain, businesses have to become their own oases of stability. This is achieved through strategies, processes, and policies that build long-term resilience. Quality, Health, Safety, and Environment (QHSE) systems can help build that kind of resilience.

The Difference Between QHSE, ESG, and Sustainability

A QHSE system is a set of processes that ensure quality and protect the health and safety of your employees and the environment. The immediate goal of a QHSE system is to maintain compliance with health, safety, and environmental regulations, but the best QHSE systems go beyond compliance and avoidance of harm by also providing quality assurance and implementing safety and environmental protocols more rigorous than those required by law.  

Both ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) and QHSE go a step further than making simple sustainability claims. Anyone can say that their products are sustainable or responsible, and there is enough regulatory gray area to get away with claims that aren’t exactly misleading but aren’t 100% what consumers think they are. Sooner or later, however, unsubstantiated claims will come back to bite you, as you’ll see in this article on greenwashing.

This is where ESG and QHSE differ. ESG introduces frameworks for backing up those claims of responsibility in environmental, social, and governance areas, typically with the goal of attracting socially conscious investors. QHSE also involves the creation of frameworks and processes for following rules and regulations—both legal and self-imposed—but QHSE systems also ensure that companies not only operate within the bounds of the law but also take extra steps to protect employees and communities.

More briefly, QHSE is for you and your employees, while ESG is for investors and consumers. Claims of “sustainability” and “responsibility” without the policies, processes, and documentation to back them up have no place in business. A QHSE system is one way to support your sustainability strategy and produce real results.

Building Resilience with QHSE

When your QHSE program goes further than the legally required minimum, you set your business up for success in the long run. Regulations change, technology improves, culture and consumer needs evolve, and the economy affects business in unpredictable ways. When these changes affect your business, your QHSE system has you already prepared because health and safety concerns are already baked into what you do. You don’t have to start from scratch or convince employees of a new way to work. The roles, processes, communication channels, and commitment to improvement are already in place.

Beyond becoming more resilient against external shocks, QHSE systems bring stability by helping you retain your best employees. When they work in a safe environment, when they know they’re producing quality products, and when they’re sure their employer is doing what’s right for them and the environment, they can take pride in and gain satisfaction from their work. A company that can boast a safe workplace and a responsible disposition toward the environment also stands to enhance their reputation and gain new customers.

A Cultural Change

For any type of program or initiative to succeed, it has to be built into your strategy and operations. It has to become cultural. When QHSE is part of your business strategy and part of a culture of continuous learning and improvement, it doesn’t feel like something tacked onto employees’ already packed schedules. It is just the way things are done, as ingrained into their workday as any of their other job duties. When you achieve that level of integration of process and culture, you know you’ve created something that will last.