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The 7 Key Differences Between HSE and RSPP for a Safe and Informed Approach to Workplace Safety Management

HSE: meaning and importance

The acronym HSE stands for Health, Safety & Environment. In the corporate context, HSE indicates the set of processes and practices aimed at ensuring the protection of the health and safety of workers and the protection of the environment. In other words, HSE management is concerned with preventing accidents and occupational diseases, ensuring safe working conditions and protecting the environment both inside and outside the company.

From an organizational point of view, adopting an HSE approach means developing policies and procedures that integrate occupational health and safety with environmental protection. This multidisciplinary approach has become increasingly important: companies today pay great attention to compliance with safety and environmental regulations, as well as worker well-being and sustainability. An effective HSE management system contributes not only to complying with legal obligations, but also to improving productivity and corporate image, reducing accidents, risks and costs related to penalties or injuries.

Within the organization, the figure who coordinates and supervises these aspects is commonly called the HSE Manager (sometimes also known as Safety Manager or Safety Manager, especially in international contexts). In reality, there are different professional roles in the HSE field, as also defined by specific regulations and standards: in particular, the technical legislation identifies both the HSE Manager and the HSE Specialist as key profiles in the management of Health, Safety and the Environment. In the following paragraphs we will analyze the meaning of these figures and how they differ from the role of RSPP provided for by Italian legislation.

Role of the HSE Manager and HSE Specialist

In many companies, especially medium-large ones, the HSE Professional is the figure in charge of supporting the organization in the overall and integrated management of all processes in the Health, Safety and Environment fields. This professional figure works transversally to ensure that company activities comply with workplace safety and environmental protection standards, helping the company to achieve its HSE objectives.

In recent years, there has been a need to clearly define the skills and requirements of these professionals. To this end, the Italian standardization body UNI has issued a specific technical standard that frames the roles of the HSE Manager and the HSE Specialist, distinguishing their responsibilities and skills. Let’s see what this rule provides for and what the two profiles consist of.

UNI 11720:2025 standard and HSE profiles

The UNI 11720:2025 standard (which updates and replaces the previous version of 2018) defines the requirements relating to the professional activity of the “HSE Professional”, i.e. the role in charge of managing health, safety and the environment in the company in an integrated manner. In particular, the new edition of the standard outlines two distinct professional profiles for HSE professionals:

HSE Specialist – an operational/specialist level profile;

HSE Manager (Manager HSE) – a managerial/executive level profile.

This division into two levels represents a development compared to the past. The 2018 version of the standard distinguished between a Strategic HSE Manager and an Operational HSE Manager. With the 2025 update, the logic of the two levels of the same managerial profile is overcome in favor of two well-defined professional figures, the Specialist and the HSE Manager, each with their own area of autonomy and competence. The distinction recognizes on the one hand a figure more oriented towards managerial aspects and strategic coordination (HSE Manager), and on the other hand a figure more focused on the technical-operational aspects of HSE (HSE Specialist).

Below we delve into the typical roles and responsibilities of the HSE Manager and the HSE Specialist as outlined by technical practices and regulations. It is important to underline that, although these roles are recognized by UNI standards, no Italian law formally obliges companies to appoint an HSE Manager or HSE Specialist. The adoption of these figures is the result of organizational choice and good business practices, driven by the growing importance given to safety and the environment.

For further insights on the topic, we invite you to visit the official website UNI – Ente Italiano di Normazione

HSE Manager: skills and responsibilities

The HSE Manager is the reference professional who operates at managerial level in the management of Health, Safety and the Environment. In practice, this role has an overall and strategic vision: it supports top management in developing HSE policies, defining objectives and improvement plans and ensuring that the culture of safety and environmental sustainability is widespread in the organization.

According to the UNI standard, the HSE Manager has advanced knowledge of legislative, regulatory and organisational matters in the areas of health, safety and the environment. He is able to interpret and apply the numerous laws and technical standards of the sector and to integrate HSE requirements into business processes. In addition to technical skills, this figure must have strong management and interpersonal skills, leadership qualities and coordination skills.

Among the main responsibilities of the HSE Manager are:

Elaboration of the company’s HSE strategy: together with the Management, it defines health, safety and environmental policies, improvement objectives and intervention programmes.
HSE management system: develops, implements and monitors management systems (es. ISO 45001 for occupational safety, ISO 14001 for the environment), ensuring compliance with standards and continuous improvement.
Coordination of HSE resources and activities: supervises the work of HSE Specialists and any ASPPs (Prevention and Protection Service Officers) or other specialists, coordinating risk assessment, inspections, operational controls and internal audits.
Training and awareness-raising: promotes the HSE culture in the organisation, plans and approves training programmes for workers on safety and the environment, organises awareness campaigns on HSE issues.
Interface with external bodies and compliance: represents the company in relations with control bodies (ASL, ARPA, Fire Brigade, etc.) and with certifying bodies, ensuring that the company is always in compliance with legal obligations (e.g. environmental authorizations, periodic checks) and prepared in case of inspections.
Performance monitoring and reporting: analyses HSE performance indicators (accidents, near-misses, environmental emissions, etc.), periodically reports to the Management on the progress and effectiveness of the measures adopted, proposing any corrective measures.

In essence, the HSE Manager has a managerial role: he makes decisions independently on HSE operational aspects and influences the company’s strategic decisions on safety and the environment. This figure is often part of the management team and helps to ensure that production or business objectives are achieved without ever compromising worker safety and environmental protection.

HSE Specialist: skills and responsibilities

The HSE Specialist is a professional figure who operates at a more operational and technical level than the Manager. While always working in the Health, Safety, Environment field, his focus is on the practical and specialized activities necessary to keep workplaces safe and business operations compliant with current regulations.

According to UNI 11720:2025, the HSE Specialist must have in-depth technical knowledge of the risks and prevention measures in the various company production processes. He/she has specific skills on machinery, plants, hazardous substances, work procedures and knows how to identify the most appropriate technical solutions to mitigate risks. In addition, good interpersonal and communication skills are required, for example to negotiate improvement interventions with department managers and to effectively train operational staff.

Typical HSE Specialist duties include:

Risk identification and assessment: analyzes production processes in detail and identifies safety and environmental hazards. He/she collaborates in the company’s Risk Assessment, bringing the technical skills necessary to assess specific risks (chemical, mechanical, ergonomic, environmental, etc.).
Definition of preventive and protective measures: proposes and details the prevention and protection measures to be implemented (e.g. safety devices on machines, PPE for workers, pollutant suction systems, safe operating procedures) in accordance with legislation and technical standards.
Operational implementation of HSE procedures: prepares safety instructions and procedures, emergency plans, and field verification that they are correctly applied. Carries out inspections and internal audits in the departments to check compliance with safety and environmental regulations.
Technical training for workers: directly carries out (or contributes to carrying out) practical training sessions on specific HSE aspects – for example, it trains workers in the correct use of PPE, first aid, firefighting and environmental emergency management procedures.
Support for environmental and health monitoring: operationally manages the measurements and monitoring (noise, vibrations, emissions, air quality, etc.) required by law, keeping in touch with specialized laboratories. It also manages the operational safety of construction sites or departments, verifying that safety measures are respected on a daily basis.

In summary, the HSE Specialist plays an operational-specialist role: he is in the field alongside workers and department managers to ensure that safety and environmental protection measures are effectively implemented and maintained. He solves specific technical problems and provides technical advice to the company on punctual HSE issues. Often several HSE Specialists can be part of an HSE team, coordinated by the HSE Manager.

It should be noted that both the HSE Manager and the HSE Specialist, despite having different roles, collaborate closely with each other. Both are part of the company’s HSE function (which can sometimes coincide with the Prevention and Protection Service, we will see later) and share the goal of preventing accidents, protecting workers and minimizing the environmental impact of activities.

RSPP: definition and legal obligations

RSPP is the acronym that identifies the Head of the Prevention and Protection Service. Unlike the HSE Manager, which is an optional role defined by technical regulations, the RSPP is a figure expressly provided for and mandatory by law in Italy when it comes to safety at work. Let’s see in detail what it is.

The role of the RSPP is governed by Legislative Decree 81/2008 (the Consolidated Law on health and safety at work) and subsequent amendments. According to the regulatory definition, the RSPP is the person in possession of adequate skills and requirements, designated by the Employer to coordinate the risk prevention and protection service in the company. In practice, the SPP Manager is the internal or external consultant who assists the Employer in fulfilling safety obligations, taking care of organizing prevention and protection activities in the company.

Importantly, every employer has a legal obligation to appoint an RSPP (internal or external to the company). This obligation is enshrined in art. 17 of Legislative Decree 81/08, which includes the “designation of the person in charge of the risk prevention and protection service” among the employer’s non-delegable obligations. Therefore, unlike the HSE Manager who is a voluntary figure, the presence of an RSPP is required by law in any organization with workers, to ensure that there is always someone formally in charge of safety management.

Tasks and responsibilities of the RSPP

Once appointed, the RSPP has the task of managing the company’s Prevention and Protection Service (SPP). Prevention and Protection Service refers to the set of people, systems and means external or internal to the company intended to carry out prevention and protection activities from occupational risks. In larger companies, the SPP may also be composed of ASPPs (SPP Officers) who assist the RSPP. In smaller companies, the role of RSPP is often entrusted to an external consultant or to the employer himself (if he has the training requirements).

The main tasks of the RSPP, listed in art. 33 of Legislative Decree 81/08, include both technical and managerial and training activities. In summary, the RSPP must:

Identify the risk factors present in the company and collaborate in the preparation of the Risk Assessment Document (DVR), proposing preventive and protective measures to reduce risks. This involves analyzing work environments, equipment, processes, and organization to highlight hazards and estimate health and safety risks.
Develop prevention and protection measures and define the control systems for these measures. For example, the RSPP helps to plan technical interventions (installation of safety devices, adaptation of systems), organizational (safe work procedures) and management (maintenance plans, health surveillance) to mitigate the risks identified.
Designing and proposing information and training programs for workers. The RSPP, in fact, assists the employer in defining the contents of mandatory safety training (e.g. firefighting courses, first aid, training on specific risks) and in organizing the related training activities. In addition, it collaborates in the practical training of workers in the use of equipment and PPE safely.
Participate in consultations on occupational health and safety protection. The RSPP participates in periodic safety meetings (mandatory in companies with more than 15 workers), discussing with the Employer, the Competent Doctor and the RLS (Workers’ Safety Representatives). In these forums, it provides its opinion on the state of prevention in the company and on any need for intervention.
Supervise the implementation of safety measures and compliance with procedures by workers. Although it does not have sanctioning powers, the RSPP carries out inspections and internal controls, reporting any critical issues or non-compliance to the Employer and suggesting corrective actions.

In essence, the RSPP plays a mainly consulting and technical coordination role: it does not have final decision-making powers (which remain with the Employer), but acts as an engine and technical reference for everything related to prevention in the company. It must ensure that the safety management system is applied correctly on a daily basis and that the Employer is informed of the obligations to be adopted.

From the point of view of requirements, to carry out the role of RSPP, the law requires specific training: it is necessary to possess certain qualifications and attend special training courses (Modules A, B and C according to the State-Regions Agreement of 07/07/2016) that qualify for the function. In addition, there is a mandatory periodic update. This further differentiates the RSPP from the HSE Manager/Specialist, whose training requirements are not set by law but by the UNI standard (often a technical degree and several years of experience in the HSE field, with the possibility of voluntary certification of skills).

Differences between HSE Manager (Safety Manager) and RSPP

After outlining the characteristics of HSE Manager/Specialist and RSPP, we can summarize the main differences between these figures. Although the ultimate goal is common – to protect health, safety and the environment in the company – there are substantial differences in terms of regulatory framework, area of competence and responsibility.

Regulatory basis and obligation: the first fundamental difference is that the RSPP is a mandatory figure by law, provided for by Legislative Decree 81/2008, while the HSE Manager (or HSE Specialist) is a figure that is not mandatory by law, but introduced by voluntary technical standards and company practice. Each company must appoint an RSPP to comply with current legislation, while there is no legal obligation to have an HSE Manager – his presence is the result of an organizational choice to improve internal safety and environmental management.
Scope of application: the scope of action of the RSPP is strictly defined by law in terms of safety at work (and partly protection of workers’ health). The RSPP mainly deals with occupational safety and risks for workers. On the other hand, the HSE Manager has a broader and more integrated scope: he deals with both safety at work and health in a broader sense (organizational well-being, ergonomics, etc.), and environmental protection (emissions, waste, environmental compliance), aspects that go beyond the perimeter of Legislative Decree 81/08. In practice, the HSE Manager embraces Health, Safety and Environment at 360 degrees, while the RSPP is mainly focused on Safety and Health at work in the strict sense (although in modern companies he often collaborates on environmental issues, as they are not required by law in his role).
Role in the organization: The HSE Manager in the company typically holds a managerial or managerial role. He often reports directly to the General Management or top management, is a member of the management committees and influences strategic choices in HSE matters. The RSPP, on the other hand, has a more technical-consulting role: he is an advisor to the Employer. Although he or she may be a managerial level employee in some realities, the RSPP (especially if external) often operates as a specialist consultant, without autonomous decision-making power over company policies. In summary, the HSE Manager is “part of the management line” that guides the company towards certain HSE objectives, the RSPP is “part of the prevention service” that advises and supports the employer in compliance with obligations.
Responsibility and decision-making autonomy: the RSPP has no direct criminal liability for safety obligations (which remain with the Employer), nor autonomous spending or decision-making powers: he proposes measures and reports to the employer. On the contrary, the HSE Manager can have very broad internal powers and operational responsibilities: in many companies the HSE Manager manages budgets dedicated to safety and the environment, makes immediate decisions to resolve HSE critical issues and can be held responsible in civil/organizational matters for the failure to achieve HSE performance. However, it should be clarified that from a legal point of view, the introduction of an HSE Manager does not exempt the Employer from its legal obligations and responsibilities – similarly to the RSPP, the HSE Manager is a support figure, albeit with greater internal management autonomy.
Training and certification: as mentioned, to become an RSPP, the law prescribes a qualifying training course (modules A, B, C and updates) and minimum education requirements. For the figure of HSE Manager/Specialist, there is no single training course required by law. Typically, these are professionals with degrees (often in engineering, prevention techniques, chemistry, etc.) and several years of experience in HSE roles. The UNI 11720:2025 standard provides a scheme of recommended training and experience requirements for HSE Managers and Specialists, and on this basis many obtain voluntary HSE skills certifications (issued by accredited certification bodies) to attest to the possession of knowledge, skills and competencies in line with the standard. These certifications, although not mandatory, are increasingly widespread and valued in the labor market.
Company size and organizational structure: generally, the figure of the HSE Manager is found in medium-large companies, where there is a need for structured and strategic safety and environmental management. In small companies, on the other hand, there is often no dedicated HSE Manager: the employer simply appoints the RSPP (sometimes coinciding with an external consultancy) to comply with the minimum legal obligations. In the absence of an HSE Manager, many HSE management tasks may fall directly to the employer or to other figures (managers, supervisors) with the support of the external RSPP. On the other hand, in large companies it is common to have both roles: the HSE Manager at the head of the HSE function and one or more RSPPs (often internal) who take care of the technical-regulatory aspects of safety. In some cases, if the same person possesses both management skills and legal qualifications, HSE Manager and RSPP may coincide in the same professional figure – this happens, for example, when the Employer assigns the role of RSPP to the manager who already heads the HSE department. This “two-in-one” solution can be efficient, but it requires a professional with a very complete profile.

In conclusion, HSE Managers (or Safety Managers) and RSPPs are complementary figures, but with substantial differences. The RSPP was born from a legal obligation and guarantees that the company complies with the minimum requirements of safety at work, operating as an expert consultant to the employer. The HSE Manager was born from a higher level voluntary organizational need: to bring safety and environmental management to a strategic and integrated level, going beyond simple regulatory compliance to aim for excellence in the HSE field.

Why choose Safetyone as an RSPP with an HSE Manager approach?

Effective enterprise security management requires specialized skills and an integrated approach that goes beyond simple regulatory compliance. Safetyone Ingegneria offers an enhanced RSPP service, comparable to that of an HSE Manager, thanks to a set of additional activities that allow companies to achieve a higher level of safety and operational sustainability.

Among the main differences that distinguish Safetyone from a simple appointment of an external RSPP are:

Continuous technical assistance with availability from Monday to Friday during office hours and guaranteed assistance for emergencies 24 hours a day, including holidays, ensuring timeliness in the management of critical issues.
Integrated legal and management support, which includes the creation of a safety management system aimed at the direct protection of the Employer and Managers, effectively limiting civil and criminal liability.
Organization and constant monitoring of training and health surveillance, through advanced digital tools (Safetyoneclick portal) with automatic alerts to avoid non-compliance or delays in mandatory deadlines.
Direct interface with the Competent Doctor and with territorial control authorities (ASL, Labour Inspectorate, Fire Brigade), ensuring effective management of institutional relations and optimal preparation in the event of inspections.
Specialized engineering support on complex and relevant technical issues (e.g. seismic risk, fire, ATEX, legionella, electromagnetic fields), ensuring an in-depth verification of company regulatory compliance.
Regularly update regulatory compliance through semi-annual reports and remediation action planning, indicating a clear scale of priorities based on potential legal and organizational risks.

Choosing Safetyone means equipping yourself not only with an RSPP, but with an authentic strategic partner with a role similar to that of an internal HSE Manager. This allows the company to effectively anticipate and manage risks, maintaining high safety standards, reducing incidents and at the same time strengthening its image as a responsible and sustainability-oriented company.

To further explore the substantial differences between the simple appointment of an external RSPP and the advanced service offered by Safetyone Ingegneria, contact our team of experts for personalized advice.