Safety
Safety is the first and foremost concern in everything we do.
Safety is a core value of Kirby. We pride ourselves on our commitment to providing a safe workplace that is conducive to delivering results. With safety at the core of our business, Kirby is out front challenging the status quo and pushing its operations to be the safest in the industry.
Kirby’s safety initiatives are structured around an effort that puts people and the environment first. Kirby demonstrates that commitment by investing heavily in its people through safety training, monitoring its workplaces, maintaining and building new equipment, and other programs that allow us to achieve a culture of zero incidents. It is Kirby’s belief that every incident is preventable, and with a combination of proper education, documentation, equipment, incentives, and monitoring, we can achieve new standards for safe operations.
Kirby’s commitment to providing a safe workplace stems from a belief that safety is at the core of everything we do. Kirby’s safety culture is deeply rooted in an overall business strategy and commitment to providing necessary resources, support, and training toward ensuring each and every employee returns home safely at the end of the day. At Kirby, no job is so important or task so urgent that we cannot take the time to do it safely.
We continually strive to keep improving our safety efforts to ensure that we have consistency within our business, regardless of where we operate or the task being performed.
Kirby’s safety culture is reinforced by a mindset of thinking safe first, as well as active behavioral safety and risk assessments. These practices provide a level of confidence and professionalism that ensures our ability to remain an effective, innovative, and safe service provider.
24 Hour Emergency Reporting Number
(713) 435-1195
All levels of supervision have safe work responsibility
The Board of Directors review safety performance of the organization
A strong safety culture enhances employee morale and drives financial performance
NO HARM award banquets held annually to reward and recognize employees
NO HARM flags awarded to all towboats, tugboats and facilities with zero incidents
In-house towboat wheelhouse simulator
Employers are expected to adhere to safety rules as a condition of employment
All employees, contractors, and consultants are required to follow our safety policy
Emergency Preparedness
In the event of an incident, Kirby takes its role in emergency preparedness seriously. The company maintains a highly trained and experienced Incident Management Team (IMT) consisting of numerous individuals to fill lead and back up roles within the incident management structure.
Kirby’s IMT routinely participates in emergency response drills and exercises to strengthen our skills and resources necessary to effectively respond in the event of an incident.
Annually, the company conducts extensive emergency simulations with employees, customers, emergency response professionals, and the U.S. Coast Guard. Kirby employees regularly attend the U.S. Coast Guard crisis management courses.
Over the years, numerous Kirby employees have been recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard for Public Service Commendations and Meritorious Public Service Awards.
Quality
At Kirby, quality is about both process and results. For that reason, we have developed and implemented a comprehensive system for ensuring that customer requirements are met and exceeded on a regular basis. The foundation of this continuous improvement structure is ISO 9001. Kirby was one of the first one hundred service companies to receive ISO registration in 1993.
But the ISO-inspired Quality System is only one part of Kirby’s commitment to Continuous Improvement. Overlaying the Quality System are certified Towing Safety Management Systems as required by Subchapter M 46 CFR 138 and other components focused on incident prevention. These include our Quality Steering Committee, our Customer and Employee Surveys, our “Measurables” process, and our Team Structure that encourages participation from all levels of the organization. Training and auditing help to ensure that everyone has the tools to do the job and that these tools are implemented company-wide.
If any kind of system failure does occur, Kirby’s corrective action process is implemented. This corrective action system includes processes for receiving and analyzing incidents and customer complaints, for conducting root cause analysis, and for changing the system as needed so that similar problems will not recur.
At Kirby, we are committed not just to the word “quality,” but to a philosophy of ongoing customer satisfaction through a systematic approach to continuous improvement.