POWERGRAMS

SAFETY Bouldin the Beautiful When a team is able to build a 40-year safety record, working day in and day out, it's obvious that skill and excellent work practices factored in that success. At Bouldin Hydro Plant, employees pay attention to detail and take painstaking care when working on difficult jobs – efforts that have paid off with one of Hydro Generation's top safety records. More often than not, Hydro Journeyman Todd Lowery said, the key involves two simple, tried-and-true methods. "Do your job safety briefing and put two eyeballs on it," Lowery said. "As the first step, each of our crew members assesses the job to be done and makes sure it can be done safely." Quality job safety briefings (JSBs) are crucial, agreed Chuck Easterling, Bouldin Hydro superintendent. Through the years, Easterling has noticed in almost every accident report he's read, two things usually go wrong when an accident or injury occurs. "A lot of times, a situation may arise with a piece of equipment that breaks or malfunctions, and an employee overlooks a hazard," he said. "From the start, we try to eliminate the potential for an accident. We approach every job knowing things can get you." It's extremely beneficial, Easterling said, that his six employees are a close-knit group. Hydro Journeymen Bill Dennis, J.D. Hudson, Charlie Patrick and Lowery, with Plant Auxiliaries Gary Jones and Chad Price, depend on each other on the job. The group has a good mixture of work experience: Three employees started their careers in Hydro Generation and the other three workers began in Fossil Generation. "We're like a second family," said Lowery, who has worked 26 years at Alabama Power, with more than 10 years at Bouldin Dam. "We watch over each other to make sure each of us performs the job safely." The work at Bouldin combines electrical and mechanical tasks, and is both diversified and rewarding, Easterling said. Tasks run the gamut: An employee may assist with the installation of a new programmable logic controller or run new electrical conduit. Responsibilities can include making rounds of the plant and switchyard, performing inspections of breakers and transformers, checking fire extinguishers, taking battery readings and monitoring electronic lake level indicators. Each day employees survey Bouldin's forebay – the area upstream of the dam – and the tailrace, which is downstream. "There's no such thing as a monotonous task," Easterling said. "Since September last year, we've had a unit 2 turbine upgrade going. Our team is looking at pumps, governors and motors, pretty much replacing or refurbishing the entire unit from top to bottom." Bouldin's Allis-Chalmers turbine, in service since 1969, is being replaced with a mixed-flow turbine. With the largest generating capacity of the company's 14 hydro facilities, Bouldin's new equipment will generate even more electricity: Unit 2 is slated to produce about 82 megawatts (MW), compared to the original 75 MW. With contract personnel assisting the unit tear-down and re-build, as many as 20 additional workers have been on site. Bouldin Hydro is sharing those contract resources with Lay Hydro, which also is conducting a unit upgrade. Easterling said great achievements go hand in hand with responsibility, commitment and ownership. "Our team knows we're responsible for carrying this record of excellence and extending it for the next generation of employees," he said. By Donna Cope Photos by Bill Snow Largest hydro generator's workers pass 40-year safety mark In middle, Easterling performs safety inspection. At bottom, Price installs new equipment. 3

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