How Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) Is Shaping Safety at Aldridge
At Aldridge, safety is a core value—embedded in everything we do. We are proud to share how our Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) philosophy was recently featured in the July issue of Transportation Builder magazine, published by ARTBA.
The article, written by Matt Storey, Aldridge’s Director of Human and Organizational Performance, highlights how HOP is advancing our safety culture beyond traditional programs. It focuses on embracing human error as inevitable, fostering learning instead of blame, and empowering teams to prevent serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs) by building resilient systems that protect people in the face of failure.
In the construction industry, safety isn’t just a metric—it’s a mindset. For decades, companies have made significant strides in lowering total recordable incident rates (TRIR). But despite this progress, serious injuries and fatalities (SIFs) continue to occur at a rate that demands more than traditional safety programs. At Aldridge, we recognized that preventing SIFs requires a deeper, more human-centered approach. That’s why we’re embedding the principles of Human and Organizational Performance (HOP) into everything we do.
HOP is not another safety or gram or initiative—it’s a philosophy rooted in the understanding that people are error-prone, and that even the best team members make mistakes. The key is not to eliminate error, but to build systems that anticipate it, prevent it where possible, and most importantly, ensure that when failure does occur, it doesn’t result in serious harm.
People First: A Subtle Shift in Mindset
At Aldridge, we recognize that passionate individuals are at the heart of every successful project. Embracing HOP means recognizing that work doesn’t always go as planned—and that’s not because people aren’t trying hard enough. It’s because context drives behavior. Pressures, distractions, unclear procedures, or misaligned goals all influence how work gets done. Our job as leaders is to create environments where workers are set up for success, even in the face of unpredictability.
Instead of asking, “Who messed up?” we ask, “How did this happen, and how can we make the system more resilient?” Blame doesn’t fix anything—improvement does. That shift in thinking is helping us create safer, more resilient, and more effective job sites nationwide.
Stop the SHOK: HOP in Action
One foundational element of our safety management system is the Stop the SHOK (Seriously Hurt or Killed) Program, which brings these principles to life. The SHOK program focuses on identifying and mitigating high-energy hazards—the kind most likely to cause life-altering or life-ending injuries. While traditional programs tend to concentrate on frequency-based metrics, SHOK zeroes in on severity potential.
We designed the program around the belief that failure is inevitable. What matters is whether that failure can happen safely. SHOK is not just about hazard identification—it’s about exposure recognition, risk control, and the ability to fail without tragic outcomes.
The SHOK Exposure Wheel: A Tool for Recognition and Prevention
Central to the SHOK program is the SHOK Exposure Wheel, which outlines eight high-energy exposures commonly found on our job sites. From electrical contact to struck-by and caught-between hazards, the wheel helps teams evaluate the potential severity of tasks before work begins.
More than just an eye catching visual, the Exposure Wheel is a conversation starter. It empowers crews to assess not only what they’re doing, but how they’re exposed, and whether existing controls are enough to protect them. This structured, visual tool enhances situational awareness and gives field teams a way to take ownership of their safety in real-time.
Measuring What Matters
To track the impact of our efforts, we use three severity-based indicators:
SHOK Actual: Incidents where someone was seriously hurt or killed
SHOK Success: Situations where a high-energy event occurred, but controls worked and prevented injury
SHOK Lucky: Events with the potential for SIFs that didn’t result in injury—by chance, not by design
This tiered approach allows us to learn from close calls and “successful failures,” rather than waiting for harm to occur before we respond. SHOK events are now investigated with a focus on systems, context, and learning, not blame. Each one becomes an opportunity to ask: “What worked? What didn’t? And how do we strengthen our controls moving forward?”
Leadership in the Field: Coaching, Not Policing
HOP isn’t a field-only philosophy—it starts at the top. Executive site visits and SHOK inspections are a cornerstone of our safety culture. These aren’t audits or compliance checks—they’re engagements. Leaders spend time with crews, listen to concerns, observe work conditions, and coach teams in real time.
The goal is to demonstrate care and concern, not control. When leaders show up consistently and ask good questions, they foster psychological safety, open communication, and trust. That’s when the real issues surface, and real improvements can begin.
Empowering the Workforce
At Aldridge, we value every voice. Field teams are encouraged to speak up, report incidents—no matter how minor—and suggest improvements without fear of reprisal. We’ve made reporting easier and more meaningful by linking it to learning, not punishment.
We also invest in coaching. Supervisors are trained not just in safety procedures but in how to support their teams, recognize risky contexts, and guide decision-making. This daily commitment to developing people builds competence, confidence, and trust on every job.
From Beliefs to Actions
Our beliefs fuel our actions, and our actions drive results. At Aldridge, we believe:
Mistakes are normal—even great team members make them.
Work as planned is not always how work gets done.
Context shapes actions, and actions make sense in the moment.
Failures can occur safely when systems are built to handle them.
Blame fixes nothing—learning changes everything.
Leadership's response to failure determines whether people speak up in the future.
Learning must be intentional and forward-focused. Ask how, not why.
These beliefs guide actions like planning for high-exposure tasks, engaging workers in daily hazard reviews, coaching our teams, and creating systems that protect people even when things go wrong.
Building a Safer, Stronger Future
As HOP becomes a standard in the electrical infrastructure industry, Aldridge is proud to lead the way. We’re not just building infrastructure—we’re building a culture that puts people first, where safety and performance go hand in hand.
With SHOK, the Exposure Wheel, engaged leadership, and empowered teams, we’re creating environments where care, concern, and continuous improvement are the norm. And in doing so, we’re not just preventing harm—we’re shaping a stronger, more reliable future for our people, our projects, and our industry.