POWERGRAMS

SAFETY SPECIAL EDITION Safe and Steady Photos by Dan Anderson Washington Cogen hits Target Zero 14 years Bolerjack, Journeyman Terry Pugh and Compliance Specialist Mitzi Houk at facility in McIntosh, north of Mobile. Washington County Cogeneration Facility employees say communication is the key to its 14 years of safety. "It's a very small plant, only 15 full-time employees. They have a keen awareness of what's going on with themselves and each other, being in keen communication with each other," said Plant Manager Matt Hornsby. Plant O&M Manager Danny Bolerjack agrees communication is crucial in the plant's safety. "We have a lot of workers who have been here for 10 to 15 years," Bolerjack said. "These guys have worked together for a while, so they know what is coming next. It's second nature." Washington County Cogen has operated without a recordable injury Bolerjack leads veteran staff. the entire 14 years since the plant started commercial operation in February 1999. The facility provides steam to Alabama Power's largest customer, Olin Corp. Bolerjack said there are times when only two people are running the generation facility. "Those are the instances where the communication their long working relationships have established is important," Bolerjack said. "It's a close-knit family operation where they can really look out and take care of each other," Hornsby said. "All of our employees have a loyalty to the plant and each other, and I think that is important in doing the job." Safety has become ingrained in the employees' practices. "Every task we do starts with a safety briefing," Bolerjack said. "No matter what our task is, we're not going to jeopardize safety and we're not being pushed to be unsafe." Senior Vice President and Senior Production Officer Jim Heilbron recognizes Washington County employees' success. "Washington County's 14-year safety record is a testament to the employees' hard work, focus and dedication to keeping safety at the forefront of what they do," Heilbron said. "I am proud of their significant achievement. They have demonstrated that Target Zero can be a reality." Safety and Health Manager Steve McVay said an admirable characteristic of the Washington County facility workforce is the employees' dedication to making sure safety is at the root of everything they do. "It is a testament to their management and their processes because as the leadership and management changes, their safety never wavers," McVay said. Along with its stellar safety record, Washington County Cogen has a peak season equivalent forced outage rate (EFOR) of less than 1 percent. "I believe performance and safety go hand in hand," Hornsby said. "These workers are not only working safe, but they are also taking excellent care of their customer." Bolerjack said this performance record epitomizes the dedication Washington County employees have to keeping Olin always on. "Even though we have an excellent safety record, we also strive to keep our customer happy," Bolerjack said. "The less than 1 percent peak season EFOR is reflective of our execution in not only doing our job well, but more importantly safely." By Katie Kilcoyne 3

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