Abstract Premier Oil's drilling function has had global certification of its Drilling Management System (DMS) since August 2004. This certification is to both ISO (International Standards Organisation) 14001, an internationally recognised environmental standard and OHSAS (Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series) 18001 which is a British Standard for Health and Safety. This paper outlines how Premier selected its certification authority, how certification was achieved and retained and how the process of certification has provided a tool for continuously improving the global drilling group's environmental, health and safety performances.