Stories

This week KBR hosted the first annual Zero Harm Day. Offices and project sites around the world were encouraged to find ways to observe the day in their own way under the collective theme "A Day of Recognition and Reflection." The day's objective was to recognize people who have visibly embraced the courage to care, to recognize projects for improved safety performance and safety-related achievements and to demonstrate all the various ways that safety is core to KBR's culture.

From all over the world, employees submitted photographs and testimonials reflecting their personal relationship with safety and their reasons for why they work and live safely. For Barry Burt, Subcontracts Director, in Houston, safety means being safe at work so that he can enjoy his family at home. "I have nine good reasons to stay safe and healthy: my grandchildren. Reason number 10 is due to arrive on the scene in March. These little munchkins are counting on 'Papa B' to be there for them in the future," said Burt.  Personal accounts like this are not uncommon around KBR; the safety culture at the company has permeated the hearts and minds of all personnel with employees taking the safety values practiced on KBR job sites and KBR offices back home with them to create a safety culture within their own families as well.

KBR Employees in Saudi Arabia sign a Zero Harm banner, committing to safety all day, every day.

Around the world, KBR offices and projects held Zero Harm Day events, meetings, small and large group gatherings and other occasions to recognize and reflect on the vital importance of safety. KBR's Jakarta office ran a photo competition and employees were asked to submit a photo that captured a safe act reflecting HSSE behavior or of a HSSE-related situation in the office area. The Jakarta contest showcased the office's enthusiasm about finding improvements to current safety measures.

KBR’s Zero Harm Day message was delivered to KBR’s and our customer’s workforce in Thailand.

In the spirit of One KBR, multiple business units joined forces in the U.K. Leatherhead office for a series of training and awareness sessions, games, activities and information points across the campus to support and reflect on the principle of safety, all day, every day. The Leatherhead office undertook a "Safety Rewards" program where each employee was given a card upon arriving in the office, and stamps were collected for every safety-related event or activity in which employees took part. Prizes were awarded depending on the number of stamps collected throughout the day. "We are particularly proud for our children's poster competition, for which we received nearly 200 entries," said Abbey Cortazzi, Communications Specialist, Government Services. "We launched the competition to get the little ones in our lives involved in keeping us, and them, safe 24/7. The aim of this competition was to raise awareness of the importance of safety both at work and home," Cortazzi explained.     KBR’s Leatherhead office collected nearly 200 children’s drawings, displaying the importance of safety at work and at home.

KBR's Dubai office recognized Zero Harm Day by conducting a "Wellness Day Camp" which provided confidential health screenings to employees. The health screens included blood pressure and blood sugar checks, and height, weight, and BMI measurements for employees to determine areas needed for healthy improvement. 

KBR’s Dubai office conducts a “Wellness Day Camp” for employees to receive health screenings as part of Zero Harm Day.

At KBR's headquarters in Houston, the building lobby was decorated with employee testimonials, recognition of projects with improved safety records or key safety milestones and also children's drawings submitted by KBR employees reflecting those safety values within their own families.  Over the lunch hour, employees had the opportunity to view all the displays, take photos with the MyKey mascot, and to obtain safety-related information from onsite representatives from the Houston Fire Department, Houston Police, KBR's Benefits team and employee resources groups like ASPIRE and IMPACT. Nick Anagnostou, Vice President, HSSE, kicked off the event and he and other KBR senior leaders spoke to employees, subcontractors, clients and vendors in attendance about the risks in our potentially hazardous industry and how everyone has a role to play in their own personal safety as well as the safety of those around them. Roy Oelking, President, E&C Americas, explained how safety in the field is impacted by the work done in the KBR offices around the globe through care taken in the engineering and design phase to ensure safety in construction and operability on the job site. "Safety is a team sport." Oelking said.  "When we pull together we can ensure the safety and well-being of everyone involved. The first step is to believe that Zero Harm is possible. I believe, and I know that if you believe too, by working together we can achieve our goal of Zero Harm," Oelking continued.

Employees in Djbouti, Africa gather to learn how various departments work safe and protect the environment on Zero Harm Day.
KBR colleagues in Nairobi on a design and building project started an initiative last year to recognize individuals who demonstrated overall safety performance on the site and as part of the crew.  As part of Zero Harm Day, the weekly award was presented and the winner got to pick from several work tools as a prize. The Nairobi award program emphasizes safety as a culture and way of life, and the safety initiative is discussed on a daily basis.

KBR has cultivated a company safety culture where employees feel a sense of ownership and care for other's safety and wellbeing. When asked the question, "What does safety mean to you?" Tony Bondin, Vice President – Subcontracts, Global Project Organization, based in KBR's Leatherhead office said, "Zero Harm to me means returning to my family safely every night and for all KBR employees to do the same. We are interdependent, whether in the office or on site, to ensure this happens without exception."   

KBR’s design and construction project in Nairobi, Kenya recognized individuals for working safely and celebrated the entire crew’s safety performance on Zero Harm Day.
Whether working in an office or on a project in the field, safety is key for every KBR employee, contractor and client.

As KBR's CEO Stuart Bradie often says: "Safety is a journey that never ends."  Everyone bears the responsibility for safety and by working together as One KBR with a personal commitment to safety and the courage to care to look out for one another, KBR can achieve Zero Harm.

As part of the Leatherhead office’s Zero Harm Day activities, an exercise bike challenge took place to promote healthy lifestyles for all employees.