Quality & Safety Newsletter S P E C I A L E D I T I O N O C T O B E R 2 0 0 6 Page 1

SPECIAL EDITION OCTOBER 2006

QUALITY & SAFETY NEWSLETTER

TRIR & LWCR What Are They and Why Do We Care?

By Denise Uhlin, Assistant Director

TRIR = Total Recordable Injury Rate LWCR = Lost Work Case Rate Bristow does care, because both rates are indications as to whether or not employees are being injured in the workplace. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, “incident rates can be used to show the relative level of injuries and illnesses among different industries, companies, or operations within a single company. Because a common base and a specific period of time are involved, these rates can help determine both problem areas and progress in preventing workplace injuries.”

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Calculating TRIR and LWCR TRIR and LWCR rates are calculated by multiplying the number of Recordable Injuries or Lost Work Cases by 200,000 (200,000 is an equalizing factor), and then dividing this value by the total man-hours worked. The lower the number, the better the performance indicator. The formula looks like this:

Number of injuries X 200,000 Employee hours worked

Incident Rate

What is the Company’s Target? Our Bristow global target is ZERO workplace injuries, and therefore ZERO lost work days from a workplace injury. Our Bristow global goal for fiscal year 2007 is a TRIR below 1.20 and a LWCR below 0.50. Zero On the Job Injuries: With a target of ZERO injuries, we must focus on being proactive in prevention, but must also be prepared with organized structured procedures in place when an employee is injured. One way this is accomplished is through Workplace Injury Case Management. Workplace Injury Case Management: This process actually manages the occupational injury from the time of injury with the intention of minimizing the consequences through the following:

Utilization of Company pre-approved medical facilities as posted at each base whenever possible and appropriate. Occupational Medicine Clinics are typically well versed in all aspects of on-the-job injuries (i.e. what constitutes an OSHA recordable injury; considerations for lost workdays verses restricted/light duty; and drug testing).

Company involvement and oversight from the time an on-the-job injury occurs includes a mandatory escort when seeking medical attention. The escort will be the employee’s supervisor or their designee who must also be well versed in on-the-job injuries. The escort will:

Offer support Ensure prompt and appropriate care Answer questions regarding specific job duties

and return to work options Help understand any discharge instructions Provide transportation

Procedures in place to assist in getting the employee back to work. It is important to understand that Workers’ Compensation benefits are paid at ⅔ of their normal base salary.

Policy on restricted/light duty and transitional work. Additional training for all personnel to aid in

decision making when an injury does occur.

OSHA Recordable: The more information we all have regarding an on-the-job injury, the more apt we are to be able to affect a positive outcome. The following examples could make an on-the-job injury an OSHA Recordable:

Days away from work Restricted/light work activity Medical treatment (NOT diagnostic

procedures/studies) beyond first aid Stitches Prescription medications to include

prescription antibiotics. (If the prescription is documented on the medical record the injury is automatically an OSHA Recordable even if it is never taken or filled by the injured employee).

Loss of consciousness from an injury – not simple fainting. (However, pilots are immediately grounded with any loss of consciousness to include simple fainting.)

Broken bones Death

First Aid: The following examples of first aid are not OSHA Recordable:

Drilling a finger nail or toe nail Drawing fluid from a blister Eye patch Removing a foreign body from the eye

through irrigation or using a cotton swab Removing a foreign body from other than an

eye through irrigation, or using tweezers or a cotton swab

Finger guard Drinking fluids for relief of heat stress Physical therapy or massage Nonprescription medications Tetanus shot Cleaning, flushing, or soaking surface

wounds Bandages, wound coverings, butterfly strips,

or steri-strips Hot or cold compresses Non-rigid splints for support

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Contents: Page TRIR & LWCR.................................................... 1 Calculating TRIR & LWCR ........................... 2 Workplace Injury Reporting Procedures .......... 3 24-HR Medical Emergency Services .................. 2 Quality & Safety Circular................................... 5 Air Logistics GOM Recordables......................... 6 Average Costs Incurred per Claim .................... 7 Manual Lifting in the Workplace....................... 8 With Focus – Everyone Wins.............................. 9 Focus ................................................................... 10

Safety Department Contacts: Phone

Quality & Safety Contact Number ...............................800-365-6771 Ray Wall, Director ..............................................................Ext. 2215 Denise Uhlin, Assistant Director.........................................Ext. 2436 Tom Fleming, Maintenance Quality Manager.....................Ext. 2334 Jonathan Primm, Environmental Manager ..........................Ext. 2272 Robert Mosley, Industrial Safety Manager..........................Ext. 2269 David Laskowski, Safety Case Manager.............................Ext. 2288 Mike Millam, Flight Quality Officer...................................TX Bases Glen Girard, Flight Quality Officer.....................................LA Bases Tasha Louviere, Workers’ Comp Coord/Admin. Assist......Ext. 2354 Agnita Moore, Newsletter Editor/Administrative Assistant.......Ext. 2254.

Follow the instructions in the Workplace Injury Reporting Procedures (above) in order to protect your benefi ts. This document is posted at your base for your information in the event of an injury. Addit ional copies can be printed from the Quali ty & Safety Intranet page located at http:/ / intranet/Safety_Forms/WorkplaceInjuryReportingProcedures.pdf or contact the Quali ty & Safety Department for assistance.

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24-HR MEDICAL EMERGENCY SERVICES

From Your Quality and Safety Department

For On-the-Job Medical Emergencies Occupational Medical Clinic

of New Iberia has a 24-hr a day service.

Contact: Occupational Medical Center of New Iberia

Phone: 337-365-5484

Location: 932 E. Admiral Doyle New Iberia, LA 70560

Supervisors must call ahead if after normal working hours

Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility Take it Seriously!

NOTE: Please POST this information on your Bulletin Board and cover in your Safety Meeting so that everyone will be aware of the day-to-day hazards we encounter and how important this is to their personal safety.

DATE: July 31, 2006 ISSUED BY: Robert Mosley

TITLE: Industrial Safety Manager

An appro pr ia te med ica l p rov ider has been pos ted fo r each Gu l f Coa s t Base . Have you seen the one provided for your location? If not, ask your base manager or super-visor to contact the Quality & Safety Department to obtain the appropriate one for posting.

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QUALITY & SAFETY CIRCULAR From Your Quality and Safety Department

NOTE: Below is an actual event that happened at one of our facilities.

What: Severe injury to four fingers.

How: When lifting a metal cabinet full of supplies without proper personal protective equipment (PPE – glove protection for the hands), the load inside the cabinet shifted, the cabinet slipped, and the sharp metal edges severely lacerated four (4) fingers.

Why: Lifting heavy object without proper use of PPE glove protection.

Result: This event is an OSHA Recordable Accident.

Finding: This accident could have been prevented if the following procedures had been followed: 1. When moving

equipment/furniture, always empty it first. 2. Use the proper PPE (gloves, safety glasses, etc.) for the job. 3. Think each project through before carrying out the action

Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility Take it Seriously!

NOTE: Please post this information on your Bulletin Board for 30 days so everyone will be aware of the day-to-day hazards we encounter and how careful we need to be.

DATE: May 4, 2006 ISSUED BY: Robert Mosley

TITLE: Industrial Safety Manager

Each Quality & Safety circular serves as a topic for discussion at Safety Briefings. They are distributed and posted after each workplace injury to increase awareness, so that we can all learn from the event how to eliminate future mishaps and increase safety.

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Types of Recordables Gulf of Mexico FY 2006

Sprains/ Strains

55%

Cuts/ Lacerations

28%

Bruises/ Contusions

17%

Recordables by Work Group Gulf of Mexico FY 2006

Pilots17%

Mechanics39%

Ground Support

44%

Air Logistics GOM Recordables FY 2006 in Review

By Denise Uhlin Assistant Director

In FY 2006, there were 18 injuries at our Gulf of Mexico (GOM) bases that were classified as recordables. The first chart illustrates the proportion of injuries that occurred to each of the three groups of employees.

The second chart illustrates the percentage of each type of injury that occurred.

The third chart illustrates all non-fatal occupational injuries in the US in 2004 as reported to the US Department of Labor.

Air Logistics GOM data closely mirrors the Department of Labor’s data with the largest percentage of injuries falling into the sprains/strains category. Both sets of data also show other large percentages of injuries to be in the same major categories – cuts/lacerations and bruises/ contusions.

Remember, it is not only our flight safety history that customers use to determine whether they will do business with us, it is also our industrial safety history with TRIR and LWCR as performance indicators.

Target ZERO

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Average Costs Incurred per Claim

by Cause of Injury in 2001-2002

The chart above visually portrays the typical costs to the insurance industry per claim by cause of injury as reported to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics during 2001 and 2002. We all are aware, both medical and therefore insurance costs have sky rocketed. This not only increases the costs to insurance companies, but to those paying the premiums as well.

Of course money is not the prime consideration in an occupational accident/injury. Each of these occurrences represent pain and suffering, lost time from work, and lost wages for the employee. The reality of all these figures is simply to demonstrate the savings that come from working safely.

Safety First . . . . . . Last . . .

. . . and Always

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Low Back Pain ♦ 10-17% of adults have an episode

of back pain each year ♦ Second most common cause for

physician visits ♦ Fifth raking reason for

hospitalization ♦ Third ranking reason for surgical

procedures (250,000 lumbar spine operations each year)

♦ Most common cause for decreased work capacity for 25-44 year olds

Back Injuries ♦ 2% of all employees have a

compensable back injury each year ♦ 29 days are lost per 100 workers

per year ♦ 33% of all Workers’

Compensation payments and medical cost each year

♦ Most common cause is overexertion

Recommended Weight Limits: According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) Work Practices Guide IOE 433 Occupational Ergonomics recommended weight limits for manual lifting are based on three primary factors.

1. Physiology factors in fatigue, energy demand, and aerobic capacity

2. Biomechanics pertains to actual spinal compression

3. Psychophysics not only considers strength but a worker’s perception on how much they can lift

MANUAL LIFTING IN THE WORKPLACE By Denise Uhlin, Assistant Director

Before lifting, many factors must be considered beyond the actual weight of an object. Factors to consider are: the size of the object, shape of the object (round, square, handles), location of the object (lifting above your head, twisting to reach), distance the object is to be moved, obstacles or barriers in area, condition of the object (presence of wet/greasy substances), and location of the worker (flat, dry, smooth surface vs. slippery ground on a slope). NIOSH defines the Recommended Weight Limit for a specific set of tasks as the weight of the load that nearly all healthy workers could perform over a substantial period of time (up to 8 hours) without an increased risk of developing lifting-related low back pain. They further define healthy workers as workers who are free of adverse health conditions that would increase their risk of musculoskeletal injury. There are two types of controls that may be put into place in order to lower the risk of injury while lifting – administrative and engineering controls. Administrative controls are actions taken by management such as: matching job requirements to worker capabilities; providing training on proper lifting techniques; etc. Engineering controls include changes made to the objects being moved such as: decreasing size; decreasing weight; changing shape; adding handles; etc. Companies are required to reduce the risk to the lowest level reasonably practicable. Reasonably practicable is defined as “reducing the risk until the cost of any further precautions – time, effort or money – would be far too great in proportion to the benefits.” There are no legal maximum weight limits for individuals, but the Department of Labor recommends a “50-pound limit for repetitious lifting of compact objects,” and NIOSH recommends a “40-pound limit with a two-hour per day time limit.” With all of the conditions and limitations listed previously NIOSH states that “even under ideal circumstances, the vast majority of workers should not be expected to lift more than 51 pounds.”

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Basic Safety Philosophy Every incident can be

avoided No job is worth getting hurt

over Every job can be done

safely Incidents can be managed Most importantly in staying

SAFE – everyone has a part to play

Safety, “To-do” list – Do you: Focus on safety, as well as productivity Communicate concerns for others in individual conversations Provide positive feedback to associates for working safely Continually educate yourself about safety procedures and the risk

associated with your job Anticipate unforeseen dangers Document and address unsafe conditions and near misses Recognize others for safety improvement efforts Promote problem-solving during safety meetings Ask for suggestions on how to improve your own safety performance Continuously make suggestions for improving safety W e l e a d b y e x a m p l e ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

FOCUS ON SUCCESS

0% 85% 94% 89%

30% 28% 26%

34%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

100%

2003(Before Focus)

2004 2005 2006 Projection

0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%40%

% Safe % Recordable Trend Line

WITH FOCUS – EVERYONE WINS By Robert Mosley, Industrial Safety Manager

We want to stay Focused on the good things we have accomplished, while continuing to work to mitigate any and all risk. Our program name hopefully reminds us daily that working safe is working smart.

What is Focus? Focus is a process for improving performance through objective measurement. It is based on current observations of (at risk) behaviors and conditions in specific activities.

Focus Objectives 1. To reduce the number of employees who suffer injury & incidents 2. To improve safety performance by focusing on a pool of safety

related behaviors 3. To provide a method for positive feedback to the employees (by

reinforcing safe behaviors and correcting unsafe ones) 4. Controls upstream causes. Which

lead to continuous improvement

Focus Essential Elements 1. Identify which behaviors are

important 2. Establish an observation process 3. Provide feedback based on

observations 4. Use the data to identify system

issues contributing to the risk, and implement controls to mitigate the risk

How Do We Measure Safety? At the time of an incident/accident or downstream of a incident/ accident, measurements are too late! When we discuss an incident/ accident and try to figure out what went wrong, we are reacting to that set of circumstances – we need to be proactive!! In other words, talk about those circumstances before we reach the critical point. The graph shows that in 2003 30% of all incidents were OSHA Recordable; whereas in 2006 the projected number is 26%.

We are Slowly Winning the Battle

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ARA OBSERVERS REWARD PROGRAM ♦ YOU can become a Focus Observer if YOU meet the following qualifications:

1. Sign up for a Focus training session

2. Make a minimum of 75 observations each month

3. Submit completed observation cards, dated for that month

4. Cards must be received by the Quality & Safety Department by end of 1st week of the following month

♦ If YOU are interested in participating, have your supervisor turn in your name

SAFETY STARTS WITH S – BUT BEGINS WITH YOU

Congratulations to Brady Broussard at ICY Base

He was chosen as Outstanding Focus Observer for August 2006 and will receive a George Foreman Grill

FOLLOW

ONE

COURSE

UNTIL

SUCCESSFUL

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S