Our Approach to HSE
Reflecting best practices and lessons learned
Modernized HSE management approach
The SLB HSE Management System serves as the cornerstone guiding our global operations in health, safety, and environment (HSE) as well as security. Our management ensures widespread awareness of our global QHSE policy—HSE philosophy, priorities, objectives, and requirements among employees, customers, contractors, and other associates. Across all operations, our global HSE standards are rigorously enforced, with each SLB geography, domain, and function expected to demonstrate positive evidence of adherence to our HSE Management System.
Key components of our HSE Management System
- Continuous improvement: We strive for ongoing enhancement of our HSE outcomes through regular conformance checks on day-to-day standards and procedures, management system assessments, and necessary modifications for improvement.
- Risk-based approach: Embracing a risk-based approach, we focus resources on locations, activities, and services with higher risk profiles. This enables us to develop clear, concise, and easily monitored HSE standards, ensuring effectiveness and compliance.
- Standard components: Each risk-based HSE standard includes a statement of intent, objective, scope of application, implementation controls, responsibility statements, and criteria for performance and compliance monitoring.
- Global consistency: Our HSE management system imposes prescribed control measures applicable to all SLB sites, activities, and employees, including contractors under our operational control. Specific risk-based controls are developed by considering country, domain, and location-specific assessments.
- Ongoing improvement: An assigned owner oversees each SLB HSE standard globally, regularly updating it to reflect our commitment to continuous improvement, industry best practices, and lessons learned.
Annual HSE management review
Every year, SLB convenes senior HSE managers globally and corporate HSE personnel for a comprehensive review. This meeting focuses on refining our HSE management system, aligning with emerging regulatory changes, and identifying opportunities for improvement. Performance objectives, including leading and lagging indicators, are set, existing HSE standards are reviewed, and new standards and initiatives are developed to further our commitment to HSE excellence.
Our HSE management system is a dynamic framework, ensuring the well-being of our people, protection of the environment, and sustainable operations.
Auditing
We uphold a robust auditing program designed to evaluate and enhance the effectiveness of our management system continually. This program aims to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas suitable for improvement, fostering a culture of continuous enhancement in system performance.
Our systematic approach includes an annual internal audit schedule that covers the entire management system scope across all geographies and domains. This risk-based process determines the frequency and prioritization of audits, ensuring comprehensive coverage within three years for all assets and activities or as required to meet industry standards.
Reviewing the management system occurs at various organizational levels—corporate, geography, and domain—ensuring that senior management has a comprehensive understanding of system performance and providing opportunities for ongoing improvement.
Our dedicated auditors, equipped with a blend of relevant education, training, and experience, lead these assessments. Importantly, lead auditors maintain independence from the areas they audit, promoting objectivity in their evaluations.
Communication is a cornerstone of our auditing process. Findings and observations are promptly and effectively communicated and recorded, empowering responsible individuals to take appropriate actions and drive meaningful improvements. Our commitment to a proactive auditing program reflects our dedication to maintaining a high standard of operational excellence and continual advancement.
Design for HSE
In 2023, the Design for HSE (DHSE) program continued its evolution. The HSE aspect of the technology group’s Concurrent Lifecycle Management System (CLMS) underwent updates to better align with our advancing technology development process, ensuring a safe collaboration with local contractors and partners to expedite our products' time to market. A crucial element of the CLMS focuses on guaranteeing the safety of SLB products throughout their life cycle–from operation and maintenance to transportation and end-of-life disposal.
To enhance the efficiency of DHSE projects, a new digital PowerApp has been developed for global capture and sharing purposes. Currently in its final testing phase, the PowerApp is anticipated to be globally deployed in 2024.
Throughout 2023, a total of 273 DHSE projects were successfully completed, each contributing to the reduction of risk in specific aspects of our operations.
