This year, we implemented ‘Making Safe Decisions' as part of our overall Incident & Injury Free (IIF) culture. This program is a four-pronged approach, which first starts with enhancing and aligning leadership’s safety knowledge, goes to the field leadership on Making Safe Decisions in the line of daily work, repositions the Craft Voice forum, and finally develops a serious incident and fatality (SIF) prevention program. It is a long-term initiative that is truly an investment in our people and their safety both at home and at work. As this new initiative is currently underway, we used Safety Week to continue the conversation on how and why we make safe decisions each day.
Safety Week 2021 was a great success and we are honored to be co-chair of this industry movement to inspire everyone to be leaders in safety. As we reflect back on the week, we want to take a moment to share some highlights from our 60+ offices and job sites across the country.
EAST COAST
With two offices and over 200 employees in the Mid-Atlantic region, Aldridge is now a significant local partner in the transportation, power, and commercial construction markets. Our work has grown substantially in the area in the last year, which has afforded us an opportunity to grow our talent and engage new employees in their first Safety Week with Aldridge.
Highlights from the week included:
Line of Fire Awareness
Work Place Fatigue Awareness
Mental Health + Nutrition with Dr. Williams
Lock Out Tag Out Training
Downhole Rescue Training
Lane Closure vs Shoulder Closure
Hidden Hazards Inside the Electrical Environment
Fall Protection Demonstration
Safety Helmet Demonstration
Our showcase presentation was a live virtual job site tour from the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge in Washington, DC where we followed executives who took our employees through the experience of being behind the scenes at this busy bridge work site. Viewers were able to chat in questions to our leadership and see a proprietary innovative conduit installation as the crews installed duct bank.
MIDWEST
Aldridge has called Chicago home for nearly 70 years, building an impressive resume of complex infrastructure work that defines Aldridge as one of the leaders in the electrical construction industry. Today, we have a strong pipeline of work in Wisconsin, Indiana, and Illinois paving the way for future infrastructure projects. Our seasoned teams in the Midwest use Safety week as an opportunity to highlight best practices and use demonstrations to provide continuing education.
Highlights from the week included:
New confined space equipment
Proper Anchor Points / Work Plans for O'Hare work (using Dead Man) / Fall Protection
Proper Loading/unloading / Material handling for equipment at O'Hare
Cable Pulling
Locates
Rigging/Pick Plans
Water Rescue with local Fire Department
Emergency Action Planning
Rigging and slings
Shoulder Variance training
Wire pulling safety
Rigging/Lifts
Environmental Awareness
Bucket/Pole Top Rescue & EAP Response with Dummy
Hazard Recognition Game & PPE And Fall Protection Training w/Dummy
Those unable to attend job site discussions were invited to participate in virtual events that included zoom break-out sessions on mental wellness awareness, focusing on a healthy mind and healthy body. Additionally, a tour of our headquarter’s PreFab Shop, Fleet Shop & Yard was shared. As we continue to grow nationally, it is important to ensure we share resources and best practices throughout the company so any and all Aldridge employees have the knowledge and understanding of what resources are available to them.
WEST COAST
With over a decade of service in California, our West Coast team has now grown to include three offices, an operational yard, and over 100 employees. Today, we have projects in the aviation, transit, highway, bridge, and foundation markets throughout the state, and are making Aldridge a well-known name coast-to-coast. Safety Week allowed us to connect with our teams and continue the discussion on the importance of safety.
Highlights from the week included:
De-escalation Techniques and Situational Awareness
Equipment Inspection
Utility Location Techniques
Proper Handling of Pneumatic Tools
Trench Safety
Overhead Obstructions Awareness
Line Clearance Permit Refresher
Downhole rescue
Environmental safety and protection
Our showcase presentation was a live virtual job site tour from the OC Streetcar project in downtown Santa Ana. Executives and senior leaders walked viewers through the track foundations being prepared for the long-awaited streetcar system. Leadership also shared details about the ins and outs of this 4-mile system that will bring transportation solutions to the downtown district.
EXECUTIVE SITE VISITS
At Aldridge, it's important to remain connected and maintain the family atmosphere that is a strong part of our culture. In an effort to reach our employees and thank them for their hard work, our executive teams frequently visit job sites across the country. Especially during Safety Week as we refocus on making safety a priority to ensure almost every job site has a leadership visit, giving a personal connection that adds to our unparalleled company culture of care and concern. We use this time to give thanks to the people we work side-by-side with, discuss our gratitude for one another, and remind ourselves of our family and friends at home that we work safely for every day.
As we close the book on Safety Week 2021, we want to say THANK YOU to everyone in the industry, for your commitment to staying safe and taking pride in your continuous efforts. We look forward to next year as the Construction Safety Week Chair for 2022.
Until then, keep up the good work and keep it safe.