Building a Culture of Care: Aldridge Featured in Foundation Drilling Magazine

May is Safety Month—a time when companies across the country reaffirm their commitment to building safer workplaces. At Aldridge, that commitment is year-round, and we’re proud to share how our proactive safety culture was recently featured in the April/May issue of Foundation Drilling Magazine, published by ADSC.

The article spotlights Aldridge’s “Stop the SHOK” (Seriously Hurt or Killed) program, which was presented at the inaugural ADSC Safety Summit earlier this year. The feature highlights how we're not only meeting compliance standards but striving to prevent serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs) through a cultural shift that prioritizes care, planning, and proactive controls.

Building a Culture of Care: The Path to Preventing Serious Injuries and Fatalities 

In the construction industry, safety is a foundational value. While risks are inherent, the focus on preventing serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs) remains a critical concern. Despite the industry's efforts, the rate of SIFs has plateaued in recent years, prompting a shift toward proactive measures. The goal is no longer just compliance but creating a culture that actively prevents these incidents from occurring.

At the inaugural ADSC Safety Summit, Aldridge showcased our Stop the SHOK (Seriously Hurt or Killed) Program. This program reflects our commitment to proactively recognizing and controlling hazards to ensure safety. The summit provided an important platform for sharing strategies and learning from others, reinforcing our belief that a cultural shift in safety practices is essential for protecting workers and ensuring long-term success.

The Origin of the SHOK Program

Although the construction industry has made progress in reducing total recordable incident rates (TRIR), the rate of serious injuries and fatalities has plateaued. This has led to a focus on addressing high-energy hazards that can result in life-threatening, life-altering, or even life-ending events. At Aldridge, we lead this shift with our STOP THE SHOK Program.

Our approach is based on the premise that failure is inevitable—what matters is whether that failure can be managed safely. Through the SHOK program, we design systems that can fail safely, ensuring workers are protected even in the worst-case scenarios. This proactive approach ensures safety is built into every stage of the job.

The SHOK Exposure Wheel: A Tool for Hazard and Exposure Recognition

Aldridge developed the SHOK Exposure Wheel to assist with hazard identification and, more importantly, to help workers recognize their level of exposure to those hazards. The wheel outlines the eight most prevalent high-energy exposures on our job sites, guiding workers to assess risks systematically before work begins. By understanding the hazard and the exposure, workers can better implement controls to reduce risk and enhance safety throughout all project stages.

The goal is not only to identify and prevent exposure but also to minimize the consequences of failure should it occur. Our workers are empowered to recognize hazards, assess their exposure, and apply effective controls to ensure safety in all conditions

SHOK Controls: Preventing Hazards and Preparing for Failure
The cornerstone of the SHOK program is the implementation of SHOK controls. These controls are designed with the understanding that failure is not a matter of "if" but "when." Multiple layers of protection are put in place to prevent exposure to SHOK hazards and ensure that failure when it happens, can occur safely.

The primary purpose of a SHOK control is to prevent hazardous energy from intersecting with a worker. If failure is inevitable, controls ensure it occurs without injury, reducing exposure to life-threatening or life-altering events.

Incorporating HOP Principles

A key component of SHOK is incorporating Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) principles, which focus on designing systems that allow people to succeed while understanding that it is inevitable and planning for failure.  HOP emphasizes understanding human error, minimizing it through process design, and creating an environment where employees are not viewed as the thing we need to 'fix' or 'control', and instead employees are looked at as the problem solvers. 

By applying HOP principles to SHOK, we take a holistic approach to safety. We empower our team to actively participate in safety planning, hazard and exposure recognition, and risk management, fostering a culture where safety is everyone’s responsibility.

A Culture of Care and Concern

Aldridge’s safety approach is rooted in a culture of care and concern, ensuring every team member feels valued and supported. We believe our people are our most important asset, and their well-being is our priority. This culture extends beyond physical protection to include mental and emotional health.

Our SHOK program supports this culture, encouraging open dialogue about potential risks and mental health concerns. Safety is not just a physical concern; a psychologically safe workplace is key to our team's overall success. Through safety training, safety stand-downs, and continuous feedback, we ensure every team member works in an environment where their well-being is a top priority.  Strong feedback loops—via safety committees, incident reviews, and worker engagement—foster open communication and proactive hazard identification, driving continuous improvement in risk reduction.

Key Takeaways from the ADSC Safety Summit

The ADSC Safety Summit provided an invaluable opportunity for industry leaders to share best practices and discuss safety innovations like SHOK. A key takeaway was the recognition that safety cannot be achieved through compliance alone. Instead, it requires a cultural shift—from task-oriented safety to a people-centered approach. Aldridge’s SHOK program exemplifies this shift, and we are proud to advocate for practices that protect both the physical and mental health of our workers.

Moving Forward

Looking ahead, Aldridge remains committed to advancing the SHOK program and the principles of HOP. Our goal is to foster a culture where safety is everyone’s responsibility, and where care, concern, and respect for each team member are paramount. We will continue to lead by example, striving to reduce SIFs and create safer, more supportive work environments.

Through programs like SHOK, Aldridge is proud to contribute to the industry's shift toward safer work environments for all. We look forward to continuing our partnerships with industry leaders to ensure safety remains a core value, both in the field and beyond.