Total Quality Environmental Management: Integrating Environmental and Quality Management Systems

Abstract As the oilfield industry strives to globally sustain continuous improvement of environmental and quality performance, companies have come to realize Total Quality Environmental Management (TQEM) is essential in product research, development, manufacturing and services. As our industry endeavors to continuously improve, more emphasis is being placed upon the management systems we apply such as ISO 14000 and ISO 9000. These standards are tools for improving environmental and quality performance, meeting customer requirements, and increasing profitability. This paper presents actual examples of the successful integration of environmental and quality management systems into an operational TQEM system. Also presented are pilot- study evaluations of the draft ISO 14000 standards by two certified ISO 9000 facilities. Examples of continuous improvement and cross-functional teams as means to merge environment and quality management into the functions of process control, corrective and preventive action, document control, and waste management are presented. Results and improvements from facilities involved with TQEM are discussed along with their strategies and progress in consolidating the environmental and quality programs into a single, viable management system. The case histories from various facilities demonstrate the implementation of TQEM and how TQEM promotes a cleaner environment, reduces costs, conserves energy and raw materials, minimizes pollutants and wastes, and reduces redundant paperwork.