Alabama Power’s Southeast Division Safety Committee wins Power Delivery Safety Innovation Award for Cool Shirt Program
Last month, Alabama Power’s Southeast Division Safety Committee was awarded the Power Delivery Safety Innovation Award for its Cool Shirt Program.
The intense summer heat poses a significant challenge for crew members who work diligently to maintain energy distribution. The Cool Shirt is a flame-resistant garment designed to mitigate heat stress for employees working in hot conditions. It functions by circulating cold water through tubes within the vest, which is then re-cooled in a specialized cooler before being recirculated, thereby maintaining a lower core temperature for the employees as they perform their tasks.
Each summer, Power Delivery crews face challenges with heat-related injuries and illnesses. The mandatory personal protective equipment (PPE) limits the body’s natural cooling mechanisms, raising the risk of heat-related issues. The Cool Shirt helps maintain a lower core body temperature during work and does not interfere with the required PPE.
Power Delivery Safety Award from Alabama Power on Vimeo.
“If you’re hot, it will make your body better able to maintain normal temperature,” said Shawn Price , senior industrial hygienist. “In our business, a lot of times the PPE that employees must wear to be safe interferes with the body’s natural ability to cool off.”
Lowering core body temperature reduces the risk of heat stress and fatigue, thereby enhancing employee focus. Additional benefits include less urgency to finish tasks before peak heat and increased energy and mental clarity for employees when they return home to their families.
The duration of cooling depends on the type of ice used – block, crushed or cubed. Systems will maintain cooling for a longer period with block ice compared to crushed or cubed ice. Specifically, block ice provides cooling for approximately six to seven hours, whereas ice water lasts around three or four hours.
The introduction of the Cool Shirt started with a pilot program at Alabama Power in 2020, driven by direct feedback from Southeast Division field employees seeking a way to stay cool during the summer while wearing flame-resistant clothing. These employees identified and proposed the solution of Cool Shirts, collaborating with local management and the Safety and Health team for testing and implementation.
In 2021, Alabama Power provided 700 vests and 258 coolers company-wide, ensuring each material handler truck had a cooler. Similarly, Mississippi Power equipped every lineworker and substation worker with a cooling vest and distributed 60 coolers to crews operating across the service area. Georgia Power is assessing the system and may implement it in the near future.
“In the beginning, many employees weren’t sure about it because it’s something extra to put on,” said Chad Skinner, general manager of Power Delivery. “In Southeast Division, they saw the benefit by being able to stay cool on hot summer days, which also means they’re able to keep their mind on the task at hand and work safely.”
The Power Delivery Safety Innovation Award aims to recognize and encourage employee engagement while continuously enhancing safety and health at Alabama Power. This year’s award honors the Cool Shirt Program for improving worker safety and for having broad application across the enterprise.
“It feels awesome, great, happy … but mostly humble and grateful,” said Price. “Humble because no one person could have accomplished the goal. It absolutely took a team effort. Grateful for the hard work and dedication of everyone who did their part to see the project move forward.”
The success of the cooling vest program illustrates how employee feedback can enhance both safety and quality of life for workers, while also promoting a One Team mindset of collaboration across different operating companies.