POWERGRAMS

SAFETY SPECIAL EDITION Rusty Hamm compares the Power Delivery (PD) crew rotation program to working a puzzle. "You can move the pieces around, and they still fit," said Hamm, a lead lineman on Hueytown's Distribution Line Crew. "You can take part of our crew and interject it anywhere in the state, and it will still get the work done, and be done safely." Indeed, safety is the program's most important component. By sharing work and information with other line crews, team members gain new ideas and report them to their division. That was the case for Hamm, who traded jobs with Fayette Lineman Chris Papania for a week in July. While their jobs are similar, working in a rural environment brought new challenges for Hamm. "It was a lot more driving time just to get to the job, and a lot of the work was off-road," said Hamm, who has worked at every Birmingham Division crew headquarters except Gardendale during his 22-year career. During morning job safety briefings (JSBs), he noticed the nearest hospitals were always listed, and an employee was assigned to dial 911. Hamm said JSBs for Hueytown Crew work in metropolitan areas often include fire stations and medical facilities. For Papania, working in Hueytown opened new experiences. He had an opportunity to help install underground lines and lights for a Ross Bridge subdivision under construction. "In Fayette, we don't have a lot of underground work, it's just every once in a while," said Papania, who has worked for Alabama Power six years, including a two-year stint with a contract electric company. "This gave me the chance for some repetitive practice." The rotation served as a chance to make new friends while learning about other crew headquarters. "I got to make good relationships with other people and gain knowledge about the other area, in case there's ever a storm situation," Papania said. He gained admiration for line crews who must deal daily with heavy traffic areas. "Traffic is one of the most dangerous things we deal with on a daily basis," Papania said. "A week in Birmingham made me appreciate my work location even more." Fayette Crew Foreman Jessie Sampson said Hamm seemed to enjoy returning to the area where he was raised. "The crew rotation went fine, and it was the chance to make friends with new people," Sampson said. "Every lineman works a little differently and learns tricks of the trade from each other, but as far as safety, the work is basically the same." Meeting up and "being with family" Gadsden's Copeland is how Gadsden Lead Lineman Allen worked with Phenix Copeland describes working with the City crew. Phenix City Distribution line crew May 20-24, in Lineman Bobby Vessel's stead. "We filled each other's shoes for a week to see what we could bring back to our team," said Copeland, who has worked at Alabama Power for 11 years. "I saw the Phenix City crew takes pride in what they do, like my crew does. I didn't see anyone taking shortcuts." The crew rotations demonstrate the Safety department's dedication to providing consistent, streamlined training, Copeland believes. 4 Photos by Bill Snow Linemen learn best practices during swap to different crew Hamm joined Fayette crew for a week in July. "Everyone knows this company strives to be No. 1 in safety, and there's plenty of safety training," he said. "Our people take pride in what we're doing to keep the lights on. I hope a lot more employees get involved in it and get to experience the crew rotation." Gadsden Distribution Crew Foreman Larry Hicks, a former Compliance coordinator for Eastern Division who has worked 32 years for the company, said the real touch point in common is safety. "Our goal is safety and Target Zero – it's not just talk," Hicks said. "We're all more on the same page as far as how we do things now than we used to be several years ago. We've come a long way in standardizing the way we handle and approach our jobs on the line crews. It's established common ground, and this is beneficial to everyone involved." Casey Shelton, business manager for System Council U-19 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, said the crew rotation program is helping open more dialogue about how line crews work. "It's one of the best ways to share information and learn better work practices from other groups," Shelton said. "The crews are enjoying it and we're getting a lot of good things out of this program. It's another way to help us achieve Target Zero." By Donna Cope

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