Nine Questions with Nick Anagnostou Vice President, HSSE
How long have you been with the company?
10 years
How did you end up becoming an HSSE professional?
Kind of a funny story. I was speaking with one my college football teammates and he asked me where I was from. When I responded Pasadena, Texas, he said, “Man, you must be an occupational safety and health major.” My response: “Nope. Gonna be a coach”. Soon after that discussion, I looked into the curriculum he was talking about, spoke to some people, and realized that the safety profession was on the rise and also had characteristics of coaching. So I changed my major and completed my degree in occupational safety and health.
How would you explain Zero Harm to a new employee starting on their very first day at KBR?
My message to a new employee would be to use your voice. At KBR we have created platforms to speak up and for new employees to have the opportunity to ask questions or make a difference and feel a part of something bigger.
What are the changes you’re most proud of since Zero Harm launched in 2015?
This is simple — the fact that prior to 2015 someone would get hurt serious enough to require treatment beyond first aid 52% of the calendar days, and now we work over 92% Zero Harm Days. The other thing that I am proud of is the true passion and ownership of Zero Harm that our employees show on a daily basis through their visible actions.
What does positive HSSE performance do for the reputation of a company like KBR?
Well, it is long been said that safety is the price of admission for new business opportunities. Safety is one of the first questions asked by prospective clients, and now investors. I see a company’s safety performance as a leading indicator to other facets of the business, and it serves as a great gauge of overall risk associated with working with that company.
Between the Absolutes and the Keys, KBR gives employees lots of guidance for safety. What’s the one aspect of our Zero Harm culture that you think is the most important for people to remember?
As mentioned earlier, the ability to speak up through a Courage to Care Conversation or exercising your Stop Work Authority through MyKey are the most important for people to embrace and act upon.
What’s the next step in the evolution of Zero Harm?
The next step of Zero Harm is obviously the expansion of the Zero Harm principles across the nine additional Sustainability Pillars. This expansion will allow people to use Courage to Care Conversations to coach and modify behavior in subjects beyond Health and Safety.
What is a Zero Harm Commitment you made?
The key foundation of Zero Harm is my commitment, and that is, “I will intervene with a Courage to Care Conversation when I observe at-risk behavior.”
What’s one home safety or security tip that you think everyone should follow?
Keep your eyes on the path, which corresponds with situational awareness. This subject applies to both safety and security. Being aware of your surroundings is very important in preventing a walking incident, in addition to preventing a security-type event.
