2016 Year in Review. Inside this issue:

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1 Ardaman & Associates, Inc. A Tetra Tech Company Newsletter January 8, Year in Review The total recordable incident rate (TRIR) is a measurement based on our safety statistics. When we look at the average rates for our industry according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 2015 national average TRIR for engineering services (NAICS 54133) is 0.7. The TRIR is an equation provided by the Department of Labor. The TRIR calculation is equal to the (number of OSHA recordable incidents for the year) X 200,000 (set number from the government) divided by the total amount of hours worked by the company. Below is a breakdown comparison of Ardaman s safety statistics for 2014, 2015 and Our continued efforts in our relentless pursuit for an injury free workplace are showing good progress relative to pre-2011 years. In relation to injuries, we see that the proactive first aid case reporting and case management are trending towards reduction in the number of recordable cases, however, the number of first aid cases should be lower. This shows that we are reporting and managing incidents earlier to ensure proper care is administered to help reduce severity of injuries. Improved safety and case management has also resulted in being able to maintain OSHA recordable numbers lower than industry standards and lower than recordable rates in prior years, * our TRIR will be approximately 0.53 for 2016, which is within the range observed during the last 3 years. While our TRIR is lower than average for the engineering industry indicating your own commitment to safety, we should continue to strive for a TRIR of Zero! Now we begin a new year, and we must continue our efforts in building our safety culture. Our vehicle incident rate is still very high and we must continue to improve our driving behavior and not be distracted while driving. There was an increase in property damage involving vehicles during the past year so many of our drivers need to do a better job of being observant while driving on the road, construction sites, and in parking lots. Remember to use the Smith Systems 5 keys when driving or stopping, try to back vehicles into parking spaces or pull through so that your vehicle is facing outwards and limit distractions. If unsure of distances to other vehicles always stop and walk around the vehicle. Here at Ardaman our goal is that Nobody Gets Hurt and we aim to have zero incidents. Let us all work together to make this happen! Incidents/Injuries First Aid Workers Comp OSHA Recordable Total Cases AAI- TRIR / OSHA Rate * Industry TRIR Engineering /- Vehicle Incidents Collision caused by Employee Collision caused by Other Driver Vehicle related theft Inside this issue: Safety Excellence Page 2 Safe Lifting Page 3,4 Ardaman Update Page 5,6 Quiz Page 7 Contact Information: Health & Safety Ardaman & Associates, Inc. Brett A. Buxbaum Orlando, FL P: (407) X 2413 Cell: (407) Safety Question: What ASTM standard is used for safety toed work boots and can be found in the tongue of the shoe/boot? A. F B. F C. F D. None of the above Property/ Equipment Damage to vehicle Total Cases Answer on page 6

2 Page 2 Safety Excellence 2016 Heroes of Safety Ardaman management is proud to announce our Safety First Heroes of the year for their outstanding Health and Safety actions and leadership. Seven Ardaman employees were recognized this past fiscal year for safety excellence in their respective department/division/branch and each received a safety incentive bonus in amounts of $1000 for 5 Safety Honorees and $2,000 for 2 Safety Heroes. Please join us in congratulating the following 2016 Ardaman Safety Heroes and Honorees: Megan Bourgeois: Baton Rouge Mark Zrallack: West Palm Beach Michael Messing: Water Resources Nathaniel Jones: West Monroe Linda Hunt: Orlando Daniel Peace: Sarasota Peter Ingalls: Bartow These employees were recognized for excelling in one or more of the following categories: Promoting our safety culture; Performing additional safety audits on their own initiative; Safety leadership; Safety recognition by their colleagues or co-workers; Hazard recognition and mitigation; Proactive behavior towards safety; Safety recognition by the safety committee (e.g., safety stickers) and/or nomination by others (e.g., Tetra Tech safety award nominee); Safety at client sites Health and Safety Recognition Award Safety is an integral part of the daily activities at Ardaman. Each year we continue to develop our safety culture both here at Ardaman and throughout Tetra Tech. Each year, the Ardaman Safety Committee reviews all of the individuals that received Health and Safety Recognition Award stickers. The individual who is nominated for the annual award receives an additional award of a $250 gift card. We are pleased to recognize Linda Hunt, an asphalt plant inspector in the Orlando Branch, as the 2016 Safety Recognition Award recipient for demonstrating a strong commitment to safety, great observation skills, and a proactive approach in hazard recognition. Ardaman is developing a safety culture to ensure our workforce has a safe experience each day and we appreciate everyone s efforts throughout the year in promoting such a safety culture. IF IT S NOT SAFE, STOP...DO IT THE SAFE WAY.

3 Page 3 Safe Lifting Preventing back injuries is a major challenge. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more than one million workers suffer back injuries each year. Typically, back injuries account for one out of every five workplace injuries and illnesses, and one-fourth of all workers compensation claims are a result of back injuries. The pain and discomfort of back injuries can have a dramatic change in an employee s life. A BLS survey shows that four out of five back injuries were to the lower back, and that three out of four occurred while lifting. This survey shows the importance of reducing back injuries caused by lifting. Although no approach has completely eliminated such injuries, a substantial portion could be prevented by incorporating an effective control program along with an ergonomics analysis and design of work tasks. OSHA has evaluated ways to help prevent lifting injuries. They specify two types of controls: engineering and administrative. Engineering controls are used to redesign the workspace to minimize lifting hazards. Administrative controls include carefully selecting and training workers, so that they can perform their jobs safely. Using proper lifting techniques can help prevent injuries as well as downtime due to avoidable back injuries. With a little practice, precautionary methods such as these can become good daily habits that could help prevent back injuries both on and off the job. A substantial portion of back injuries can be prevented by incorporating effective administrative and engineering controls. Safe Work Practices To reduce back injuries at work: It is important to find and avoid risk factors that increase your chance of injury. When any one or more of the following occur, your risk of a back injury is increased: 1. Awkward posture 2. Overexertion 3. Repetition 4. Fatigue 1. Awkward Posture Your body posture determines which joints and muscles are used and the amount of force that is generated. Whether standing or sitting, there is a neutral position for your back. Postures that differ from the neutral position increase stress on the back, especially when combined with other risk factors. Avoid: strenuous activity while the body is in a twisted or bent position. repeated bending, twisting and reaching. bending forward while lifting. How To Reduce Awkward Postures: Change the work height so you can handle the item with your back in a neutral position. Store materials at waist level to avoid bending to lift. Use material handling devices, such as dollies, carts, skid loaders and lift trucks. Bend the knees, not the back, to lift. Move your feet, instead of twisting, to move materials. Ask a coworker to assist your lift or divide the load.

4 Page 4 2. Overexertion: Safe Lifting Continued Tasks that require forceful exertions place higher loads on the muscles, discs, ligaments and joints and can lead to fatigue and injury. Your Risk Depends On: Type of grip Weight of an object Type and duration of the task Body posture How to Reduce Overexertion: Use material handling devices, such as dollies, carts, wheel barrows, lift trucks and skid loaders. Divide the load for safer transport. Push materials rather than lift. Ask a coworker to assist your lift. 3. Fatigue Job tasks that require the same muscles or motions for long durations can increase fatigue. In general, the longer the period of work, the longer the recovery or rest time required. How To Reduce Fatigue: Alternate tasks and postures that use different motions and muscles groups, such as sitting and standing. Take time to stretch at the beginning of the workday and during scheduled breaks. Break standing tasks with seated. 4. Repetition Repeating the same motions over and over again places stress on muscles and joints. If repetitive motions are frequent or sustained and combined with excessive force or awkward postures, they can cause injury. Your Risk Depends On: How often the action is repeated. Speed of the movement. Number of muscles involved. Required force to lift or move the material. Body posture. If motions are repeated frequently, such as every few seconds, and for prolonged periods, such as throughout an 8-hour shift, fatigue and injury can result. How To Reduce Injury from Repetition: Alternate tasks and postures that use different motions and muscle groups. Take time to stretch during scheduled breaks. Use material handling devices, such as dollies, carts, skid loaders and lift trucks.

5 Page 5 Injury Incidents: Ardaman Update Zero for December! Great job everyone! Vehicle Incidents: Employee was backing their vehicle out of the way on a job site to allow another piece of heavy equipment to pass. While backing up, he struck a jersey barrier with the bumper of the truck. Although the employee checked his mirrors, the tailgates on trucks create a blind spot behind the vehicle due to their height. Before backing, remember to conduct a walk around of the vehicle to ensure nothing is behind the vehicle or ask for assistance from a spotter. Employee was parked on a job site. He was preparing and loading concrete cylinders by his truck with the tailgate down. A nearby forklift operator was not paying attention and backed into our parked vehicle. The fork truck struck the corner of the tailgate denting it. When parking on active sites, use a roof mounted strobe or your emergency flashers to increase visibility. Try to select parking locations away from high traffic work areas. Employee was driving from his home to his office in the early morning in foggy conditions when a deer ran out into the road. Our driver was able to avoid striking the first deer, however, two more deer were following from behind and struck the side of our truck. When driving in low visibility conditions remember to reduce your speed and Aim High In Steering to help identify potential hazards down the road. Employee was traveling home in the right hand lane of the roadway. Our driver was attempting to move over into the left lane. Suddenly, another vehicle came from behind at a fast rate of speed and our driver was forced to stay in his lane. The lanes of the road narrowed further up the road, our driver was still in the right lane and struck the driver mirror of another vehicle that was parked on the side of the road. Remember to maintain your vehicle in the center of the roadway lane when driving. Safety Audits: Identified Hazards from 25 Safety audits conducted in the month of December. Preventive Maintenance: A few hydraulic hoses on the drill rig were identified in need of replacement. Hoses were replaced. Lack of Safety Shut Down: Employee identified that the bump stick was missing by the flight assembly on the drill rig. Bump sticks can be broken off from time to time and must be replaced immediately as they perform one of the duties of emergency shut down on the rig. Preventive Maintenance: The pill extraction handle was stuck on the client s machine at their Asphalt Lab. The client was notified and lever was rep aired. Who am I? By Jurgen Tietz You may know me. I m your constant companion. I m your greatest helper I m your heaviest burden. I will push you onward or drag you down to failure I am at your command. Half the tasks you do might as well be turned over to me I m able to do them quickly and I m able to do them the same every time, if that s what you want. I m easily managed; all you ve got to do is be firm with me. Show me exactly how you want it done and, after a few lessons, I ll do it automatically. I am the servant of all great men and women and, of course, servant to the failures as well. I ve made all the great people who have ever been great And, I ve made all the failures too. But I work with all the precision of a marvelous computer, with the intelligence of a human being. You may run me for profit or you may run me to ruin; It makes no difference to me. Take me, be firm with me and I ll put the world at your feet Be easy with me and I will destroy you! I am Habit

6 Page 6 Near Miss/ Hazard Identification: Highlighted Near Misses from 18 reports received for the Month of December. Ardaman Update Continued Employee was driving in foggy and dark conditions on the interstate when they spotted a vehicle entering from the on ramp without their lights on. Another vehicle in the right lane almost ran into the vehicle as it merged onto the highway. Headlights must be used between dusk and dawn and should also be used when visibility is poor or when it is raining. Employee was standing on a ladder to change a light bulb in an office. While unlatching the cover to the light fixture, one of the bulbs fell to the floor. The employee was wearing safety glasses and gloves and had cleared the office of personnel prior to work. No injuries occurred; an excellent example of how performing a LMSA prior to the task can help reduce potential exposure to hazards. Employee observed hydraulic fluid leaking from the fork lift in the garage area creating a potential slip hazard. The hydraulic fluid was cleaned up with absorbent sand and a mechanic was called for repair and maintenance. Fork lifts must be inspected prior to each shift to help ensure safe operation of the equipment. Employee was driving and noticed that the truck ahead was carrying an old pool screen enclosure in the truck bed. The screen was not secured and out driver began to increase his following distance. As the truck entered the interstate, the screen flew out of the truck bed and onto the roadway. Our driver had increased his following distance and had plenty of time to switch lanes and avoid the hazard. This is a great example involving the use of the Smith System 5 keys and how it can help drivers to identify and avoid potential hazards. Employee arrived at the office and noticed dark smoke coming from the top of the cigarette disposal bin outside of the door entrance to the building. The employee immediately grabbed the hose near by and placed it in the opening of the bin to extinguish the fire. Cigarette disposal bins must be inspected monthly to ensure that a build up of cigarette butts does not occur along with trash being thrown into the bin. Employee observed another drilling contractor on site that had backed a large water truck onto a slope to fill a mud pit with water. The water truck was left running and the wheels were not chocked to prevent the truck from moving down the slope. The two workers were below the truck with their backs turned to the potential crush hazard. Our employee pointed the hazard out to the men and they stopped work. The drillers then turned the truck horizontally to keep it from moving down the slope and chocked one of the tires. Employee observed multiple sets of empty soil tares stacked up on top of the counter. The stack of tares was now close to 6 feet high and could easily fall and strike an employee walking by or working in the area. The empty tares were moved from the counter top and placed on the floor against the wall to remove the struck by hazard and to ensure the walkway path was clear. Employee was monitoring cable stressing for the 3rd floor slab on a building. He noticed non-essential personnel were standing on top of the slab. If a failure occurs, the cable inside of the slab could cause the concrete to break and potentially strike a worker. The site safety officer was contacted and a meeting was held. When performing this type of task or other tasks where struck by/ flying hazards may be present, all non-essential personnel should always be moved from the area and an exclusion zone established. Safety Question Answer: C Employees will find ASTM F on the inside tongue of an approved safety toed boot that is worn during all field and CMT lab activities.

7 January 2017 Safety Quiz Please circle the letter of the answer that fits best. Some answers can be found in the newsletter 1. The approximate TRIR for Ardaman in 2016 is. A B. 0.9 C D OSHA has 2 types of controls for reducing back injuries, administrative and. A. PPE B. Engineering C. Environmental D. All the above 3. When is your back at risk for injury when lifting? A. Turning at the waist while lifting or carrying a load B. Heavy Lifting C. Reaching and lifting D. All the above 4. How many vehicle related accidents caused by employees did Ardaman have in A. 17 B. 9 C. 12 D Which of the following are risk factors that my cause back injury? A. Awkward position B. Overexertion C. Repetition and fatigue D. All the above 6. In order to change direction while performing a lift you should move using your? A. Head B. Waist C. Feet D. Throw the load in that direction 7. To avoid lifting it is a good idea to store objects up off the floor or on an elevated surface. A. False B. True 8. Which of the following are methods to reduce overexertion while performing a heavy lift? A. Use a cart B. Divide the load C. Team lift D. All the above 9. Why must non-essential personnel be moved from an area during cable stressing? A. To avoid struck by hazards B. To avoid crush hazards C. To avoid flying debris D. All the above 10. You should keep the load close to your body when performing a lift. A. False B. True 11. How many wheels must a wheel barrow have per our Ardaman policy? A. 1 B. 2 C. A&B D. All the above 12. The amount of property/equipment damage involving vehicles in 2016 compared to prior years. A. Stayed the same B. Increased C. Decreased D. All the above All Ardaman employees must complete the quiz and turn it in by the end of each month. For those individuals who cannot attend the monthly safety meeting please complete the quiz and submit it to your supervisor for approval. These will be sent to HR/H&S. All others must submit the quiz at the designated location at your office. The supervisor only needs to sign the quiz if you are unable to attend the meeting, you must explain the reason in the box below: Print Name Here Sign Name Here Date Supervisor Print Name Here Supervisor Sign Name Here Date