Ratcheting Up Safety
In supporting utilities in Florida impacted by Hurricane Ian in 2022, Lewis assembled an on-the-fly workforce of more than 1,200 craftworkers, safety specialists and field leaders from across the company’s 27 state service territory.
Three Phases of Restoration
“We realize that keeping people safe throughout a storm response involves sometimes different areas of focus depending upon which phase of a storm our crews are in,” Kass says. “During the mobilization and demobilization phases, we emphasize things like the importance of 360-degree inspections of our vehicles, the roles of driver and co-driver, situational awareness of road conditions and careful navigating in staging areas, fueling stations and parking lots. We also recognize that workers have unique and different physical and emotional conditions when traveling into a storm, moving to or from a work site or after being released to head home. Our safety team does a great job of providing tailgates and information appropriate to each phase to help our crews stay sharp and prepared.”
Human Performance in Action
Deploying tools with names like, “Uncertainty Gauge,” “Press Pause,” “Peer Checks” and “After-Action Reviews (AARs)”, Lewis crews, field leaders and safety personnel work together to identify hidden risks and potential surprises and provide input to refine and improve processes and methods. They’re empowered to call in others, including peers, field leaders and utility partners, without retribution anytime their uncertainty exceeds their comfort level continuing the work at hand. Risk hides in the differences, so Lewis pairs travel crews with local leaders to help them navigate local conditions and customer specific needs. For example, if an out-of-town crew is bringing its convoy into an unfamiliar area, a local leader will meet them and guide them into the work location.
Learning for Storms and Blue-Sky Days
The Safety-II/human performance principles and tools used by Lewis crews not only help to bring order to the chaos of storm work, but also apply equally to the blue-sky work. It often seems routine and ordinary, but can be highly variable and fraught with risks, surprises and uncertainties. Beyond elevating worker safety, these new safety tools of the trade also boost the productivity and performance of the crews.