POWERGRAMS

6 Under the Target Zero initiative, Alabama Power's focus on safety has been taken to another level. But can we keep it from being taken for granted? That was the challenge addressed by Mark Crosswhite, president, chairman and CEO, as he marked a historic first half of 2015. "Through June, we've had the fewest recordable injuries since Target Zero began," he said in the Alabama Control Center (ACC) at Corporate Headquarters. "But we can't lose focus. We still have employees being injured." Corporate Safety and Health Manager Charlie Shaw said a "questioning attitude" and "culture of continuous improvement" can prevent certain types of injuries. "Several of our accidents that have occurred this year have come from existing hazards and longstanding work practices," Shaw said. "For some reason we didn't recognize these items as a risk until an injury occurred. After the injury occurred, we corrected the situation. However, we'd really like to be able to take care of that ahead of time." Crosswhite urged all employees to take a fresh look at their surroundings and daily routine. "We've got to guard against complacency," he said. "We should always have a good reason for our actions, not just because 'it's the way we've always done things.'" "We can't let getting into a routine become a rut," he added. Crosswhite spotlighted one group of employees that has taken these lessons to heart. Washington County Co-generation has gone 6,000 days and counting without a recordable accident, dating back to Feb. 11, 1999. Plant Manager Jay Burdette explained why. "The number one factor is the sense of family and teamwork these guys have," he said in an interview. "It's built on all the things we value: a sense of pride and ownership, and looking out for each other." Burdette, who also manages Plant Barry and Theodore Co- generation, spoke about his workers' approach to fighting complacency. "They constantly question themselves and each other," he said. "One of the things we do from time to time is have folks visit one of the two other plants and walk around and get feedback." Crosswhite recognized the 40 Alabama Power employees this year — a record — who earned the Presidential Award of Honor for taking action to protect or save a life. And Shaw cited the two Alabama Power employee ideas chosen winners out of more than 900 submitted for the "SO Safe" contest sponsored by Southern Company. "We asked employees to identify ideas to help us achieve Target Zero in three areas: by implementing new technology, improving a process or just doing things differently," Shaw said. Not all the trends in 2015 have been positive. For instance, there was a significant jump in preventable vehicle accidents, especially rear-end collisions, compared to 2014. "Two things can help us in the area of preventable vehicle accidents: avoiding distractions and maintaining good following distance," Shaw said. "We all need to pause — stay back, leave yourself plenty of room, put the phone down — and just focus on doing one thing at a time." From July to mid-August there were 15 new injuries recorded, totaling about two-fifths of the year's total. Crosswhite stressed that "every day is a new challenge to achieve Target Zero." "No one at Alabama Power works alone," he said. "We all must act as our brothers' and sisters' keepers." By John Herr Midyear report card TARGET ZERO CEO APPLAUDS SAFETY PROGRESS, WARNS AGAINST COMPLACENCY Alabama Power linemen safely restore power after recent storm. Crosswhite, Shaw discuss safety in ACC.

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