Editor's Note: The 2025 class of America's Safety Companies will be recognized Tuesday, October 21, during the Safety Leadership Conference 2025 in Glendale, Ariz. More information about the conference, including registration, can be found at www.safetyleadershipconference.com.
KBR
Science, Technology and Engineering Solutions
Houston, TX
38,000 employees | 169 sites | 146 EHS professionals
KBR, a Fortune 500 defense contractor that provides science, technology, and engineering solutions for such industries as aerospace and energy, has a philosophy centered around creating a safer, more secure and sustainable world. The corporate structure consists of Sustainable Technology Solutions (STS) and Mission Technology Solutions (MTS). The company, including all subsidiary operations, “is committed to Zero Harm in both our direct hire operations and through the performance of our subcontractors,” explains Nick Anagnostou, vice president, HSSE.
Central to this commitment, he says, are the safety principles known as The Zero Harm Absolutes. “These non-negotiable KBR safety standards must be adhered to at all KBR projects and locations globally,” Anagnostou says. “Each Absolute embodies the creation of a safe and healthy workplace. Our journey to Zero Harm requires our employees to genuinely implement each commitment in their daily tasks, whether at work, home, or play.”
The Absolutes consist of the following:
- MyKey establishes the ability for all KBR personnel, contractors, or clients to employ the KBR Stop Work Authority (SWA) to suspend individual tasks or group operations when the control of HSE risk is not clearly established or understood.
- Courage to Care Conversations for developing ongoing awareness of unsafe acts through observation, intervention, and conversation.
- Incident Investigation: All incidents and near misses must be investigated.
- The Safety Energy Program, Anagnostou explains, is KBR’s global leading indicator program that measures safety initiative at all project sites. “High Safety Energy correlates directly with a reduced number of incidents,” he notes.
- KBR’s Keys (Keys to Life, Key Office Behaviors, Keys to Security, Key Work from Home Behaviors, and Keys to Mental Fitness) provide global guidance on frequently encountered hazards in the office, on sites and at home, and help eliminate incidents.
- The KBR Pre-Task Risk Analysis and Risk Mitigation process, known as Total Safety Task Instruction (TSTI), is conducted before any field-related work task or any non-routine task is performed by office-based personnel.
All In, another initiative, is an employee-led volunteer community that aims to break down silos, encourage collaboration, and enable KBR employees to create and lead opportunities for local engagement. “The vision for All In is to create an environment where our people feel valued, heard and empowered to contribute,” Anagnostou explains.
KBR focuses its sustainability efforts on three main areas: People, Planet and Governance. “Our 10 Zero Harm pillars track progress toward long-term goals that are aligned with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030,” Anagnostou says.
