POWERGRAMS

TARGET ZERO Some say the most dangerous job is the one you are doing for the 1,000th time. Protection and Control Test Engineer Wilbur Wynn learned this valuable lesson on Nov. 9, 2013. "I had been on a hunt that morning and was preparing to go back out that afternoon with another member of my hunting camp," Wynn said. "We walked out to hunt together where our tree stands were about 300 feet apart." Wynn made sure he had his safety harness on as he climbed his lock-on tree stand. "I had done this a thousand times before," Wynn said. "I typically got to a certain point and tied my safety harness to the tree before I transitioned over into the stand." Wynn was about 2 feet from the stand when stitching broke on the top strap of his safety harness and he fell 21 feet to the ground. Landing on both legs, Wynn knew he was seriously injured. Wynn's hunting partner quickly reached him, asked if he had fallen and called 911. Paramedics called for a helicopter after finding Wynn had broken the tibia and fibula in one leg and his ankle on the other. He spent the next three months in a wheelchair, unable to bear weight on either leg. "I was unable to move around and had to depend on my family and friends," Wynn said. Since the accident, Wynn has tried to determine the cause and how to prevent a similar hunting catastrophe. "Whether it was a piece of equipment that failed, a design fault in the stitching, overconfidence on my part or maybe even a little bit of a rush trying to get in the stand," Wynn said. "These are the things that we anticipate when we're doing our jobs and we talk about beforehand, but we don't do that a lot of times in our regular lives." Wynn encourages employees to follow the same process at work and home. They should make sure to have the necessary equipment to address all hazards before performing any task. "It does not matter if you're hurt on the job or you're hurt at home," Wynn said. "You, your family and your co-workers are still all affected. When we start eliminating accidents that happen in our personal lives, we're better for it and the company is better for it." After three months in a wheelchair, and 34 weeks off the job or on restricted duty, Wynn is walking and back at work. "I may not be as good as I was, or maybe a little slower," Wynn said, "but I am able to do my job and you may not always be that lucky in life." With the start of hunting season, Wynn hopes his story will help other employees focus on performing every job, every day, safely – at work and at home. "We need to take home with us all of the emphasis we put on being safe during our jobs," Wynn said. "My only hope is that someone takes my story and evaluates what they are doing in their own personal life and strives to do things a little safer." By Katie Kilcoyne Hunting season prime time to shoot for safety perfection 2 Littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords makes waves in the Gulf of Mexico during recent Navy trials. The ship was built in the Port of Mobile with electric service from Alabama Power. Photo courtesy of Austal USA. ON THE COVER: Wynn X-ray of broken leg after surgery. Wynn was airlifted from site of hunting accident. Wynn during rehabilitation.

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