TODAY, IT IS HARD FOR APPRENTICES AND YOUNG JOURNEYMEN TO FIND THE TIME to watch and learn the trade like we did 30 years ago. With the shortages and increased workload, our inexperienced apprentices and young journeyman need to be working apprentices. In-depth training is difficult to come by. While safety is still our No. 1 priority, we need to make sure we have the individuals available to maintain that essential level of safety.

THE BLUE HATS PROGRAM

That's where the Blue Hats comes in. Blue Hats is a program Arizona Public Service (APS) developed after a serious electrical contact and other serious safety-related incidents occurred several years ago. Actually, it's not a program like you would normally see, with organization charts and outlines of job descriptions. Instead of creating another program, APS management, the safety department and field personnel got together and said, “What are we doing wrong?”

The group came up with the idea of taking some seasoned linemen from the field and assigning them to a territory to talk about safety. Management from the top down, the safety department and our local union leadership were all involved. They encouraged us to, “Just go out there and see what you can do.” It is as simple as that. So we are giving it a try.

Even today, we do not have an over-engineered program. The term “Blue Hats” represents the experience only field workers obtain. It does not come from textbooks. Some of us more experienced linemen were asked to go out in the field and see if we could make a difference. We have four Blue Hats, each working in one of APS's four service territories.

TEACHING SAFETY

The four Blue Hats selected were just seasoned hands from the field who know safety and who can relate to their peers. Sharing with each other what we are talking to our crews about keeps us on the same page, telling our crews the same thing regardless of the territory. If an incident occurs, some of us may be brought in to discuss the situation.

Early reactions varied from crew to crew, but we encountered very little skepticism. We spend our days in the field talking safety and explaining proper procedures. We preach out of the good book — safety. And for the less experienced, we become that extra set of eyes making sure the work place is safe.

We have the authority to shut down an unsafe job, but we are not enforcers. We are encouragers. When we see a guy forgetting his hard hat or working without a traffic vest on, we ask, “Hey, what's wrong with this picture?”

We spend a lot of time making sure the workers know the proper procedure for a specific situation. On a daily basis, we are answering questions about safety. I try to make sure my crews know that no question is out-of-bounds. Every question deserves an answer, even if it isn't the one they want to hear.

A lot of safety is interpretation. We are all professionals. These guys know what they are supposed to do. The Blue Hats are just there to make sure they maintain an awareness of the situation. Sometimes it takes time discussing the rules and how they apply in a particular situation. As I tell my crews, “I don't have all the answers, but I have enough phone numbers in my cell phone that I will find the answer.”

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Even though we are scattered all over the APS service territory, Blue Hats talk to each other almost every day. We identify trends among crews and address them before a mishap occurs. If we spot something that needs to be addressed, we make a note and share it with the other Blue Hats. Between the four of us, we pretty much know what's going on throughout the company. That way, if a Blue Hat happens to be around another Blue Hat's service crew, he knows what they have been working on.

My biggest reward is walking on to a job site and hearing crews say, “Where have you been? We missed seeing you.” That tells me two things. One, I'm respected, and two, they are a safe crew already so I don't need to spend a lot of time with them.

The results of the Blue Hats are tough to measure. How do you put a dollar sign on saying to a fellow worker, “You're too close, step back a little”? From day one, it has been a work in progress and still is. With our workforce shortages and the demand placed on apprentices today, I think the Blue Hats program is going to become an even more important part of our safety in the field.

---

Pete Peterson has been in the electric utility industry for more than 30 years. He was a member of Arizona Public Service's initial task force that set up the Blue Hats program. Robert.Peterson@aps.com