Bob,
Perhaps the systems are run separately because the knowledge base is fragmented.
Many companies use personnel who have other duties, so one person looks after one system "in their spare time" and another looks after a second system "ditto". It would be too much for one person to do both or even learn to understand both (or 3 or 4..).
In our company there is a well defined and implemented safety system. This is a requirement for offshore industry. We can't even bid for jobs with a certain number of recordable incidents. There are various programs in place for safety. We have an "expert" on OSHA regs, risk assessment, etc. But this person doesn't have the training (or time) to deal with a QMS or an EMS. So we have a separate (for now) system for establishing the QMS, and eventually an EMS.
While a team concept (get us all together in a room to make decisions,etc.) sounds great, it is not a practical answer for us at this time. And then the decision is : who will supervise it? The safety guy or the quality girl?
To have effectively merged systems, you have to have a core of people who have the knowledge and experience in each system.
We're dancing around the integration idea by incorporating the safety forms and safety procedures into the one doc control system. We will include risk assessment as a preventive action. We may include safety related issues as quality objectives because when there's an injury offshore, it impairs our abililty to get a job done, creating expensive downtime for our client.
Our procedures for work include any safety reminders and instructions within the text.
Safety training is listed along with any other job category training that is required.
But programs are in place to deal specifically for safety issues, or quality issues. They must exist separately since the information and the use of the information are for different reasons. There is nothing to "integrate".
Management review is something that is done for both, and a full meeting can be had on each one. Why would a company want to blend the two into one monster meeting?
With the few exceptions I've noted here, I don't see where "integration" is easier or even practical. Maybe I'm missing something.