RMI clients who have a 401k retirement plan through John Hancock Retirement Plan Services will be pleased to know that Chatham Partners, an independent third-party marketing and research consulting firm, has awarded John Hancock the "Best-in-Class with Plan Sponsors" for 2011. The Client Satisfaction survey that was conducted involved thousands of plans similar to RMI's Plan.

John Hancock earned 54 "Best-in-Class" ratings, including; participant support, participant statements, enrollment services, investment choices and overall impressions. John Hancock also outperformed the benchmark in 19 of 21 key attributes. As an employer, you can feel confident that your company's 401k retirement plan through John Hancock is managed by one of the top financial institutions available.

If you would like more information concerning your 401k plan through John Hancock, or if you are interested in setting up a 401k plan, please contact RMI's Benefits Department at (888) 764-0200 or Jere El-Bakri from Retirement Plan Consultants at (800) 948-0330.

Non-exempt employees (employees who are not exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act) are entitled to overtime pay at time-and-one-half their regular rate of pay for all hours worked exceeding 40 per week.

Your overtime workweek is a fixed and recurring period of 168 hours comprised of seven consecutive 24-hour periods. Your overtime workweek does not need to coincide with the calendar week and may begin any day of the week. This seven-day period is defined in your company's Employee Handbook.

The following are examples of hours that do not need to be included when calculating overtime pay but are frequently found by our payroll managers as being included in overtime hours reported:

• paid vacation
• sick leave
• holidays

If a non-exempt employee works eight hours on a holiday that would have otherwise been paid leave, FLSA does not require you to pay these hours at time-and-one-half their regular rate of pay. You are still only required to pay the employee at time-and-one-half their regular rate of pay if they actually work over 40 hours in the workweek.

The following are examples of hours that do need to be included when calculating overtime pay but are frequently caught by our payroll managers as not being included in overtime hours reported:

• hours worked over 40 for non-exempt salaried employees;
• hours worked over 40 for non-exempt piece work employees;
• hours worked over 40 for non-exempt commissioned employees;
• travel between work locations during the work day; and
• mandatory training.

If you have questions regarding the correct hours to include while calculating an employee's overtime in the future, please contact your RMI Payroll Manager.

If an employee is injured, please complete an Employee Injury Report and submit it to RMI within twenty-four hours of the occurrence. Delays in reporting injuries can result in problems in filing a worker's compensation claim, increased costs on the claim, and possible delays in recovery. Please always submit an Employee Injury Report even if the employee does not initially seek medical treatment: having a report on file is important if they need to seek treatment at a later time. Be sure to indicate if the employee has missed any time from work as a result of their injury.

You may download the form from our website and send the completed Employee Injury Report to your RMI HR Representative.

For some drivers, a decision to tailgate is a conscious decision. For others, it has become a part of their driving "style." Tailgating, or following another vehicle too closely, is a direct cause of "rear-end" crashes, the most common type of vehicle crash.

Following too closely can occur because of a lack of perceived risk in so doing. Many drivers, especially young drivers, do not understand the risk of following too closely. Others drive too fast for conditions and get behind other drivers who are driving more slowly. When asked, drivers typically respond that they do not like to be tailgated but tend to follow other drivers too closely.

Another reason for following too closely is road rage. Incidents involving road rage start when drivers try to "bully" the driver in front out of the way. The lead vehicle may respond erratically to get the tailgater off his or her rear end. This series of events may escalate and can result in a serious crash. A third vehicle could also be involved in the crash even though it was not part of the original conflict.

Drivers who make sudden lane changes can also cause a rear-end crash. This can happen when drivers fail to signal their intentions early or fail to check their mirrors to see if there is a vehicle in their blind spot or move over without looking. As they try to slip in between two cars, they strike the vehicle in front, or the vehicle behind them hits them if the traffic comes to a sudden stop.

With fuel prices escalating over the past couple of years, drivers are trying everything to save at the pump. Trying to stretch gas dollars by "drafting" behind other vehicles, especially large trucks, can create a huge risk. What started out as good intentions can cause serious consequences and should be avoided regardless of good intentions or hoped for benefits.

Steps to Take to Avoid Rear-End Crashes:

• Plan ahead and arrive 15 minutes early. Know your distance and the time it takes to reach your destination. Anticipate traffic delays along the route you take.
• Establish a four-second following distance for sedans and light trucks. Find a fixed object on the side of the road, count one-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand, four-one thousand. If you get to the object before you reach four seconds, take your foot off the accelerator and increase the distance to the vehicle in front. For larger trucks, six to eight seconds is recommended. In inclement weather, add additional seconds.
• Do not drive faster than the speed limit or the flow of traffic around you. Driving faster will not save you a significant amount of time.
• As you maintain your following distance, look 8-12 seconds ahead to determine the traffic conditions. If you start to see brake lights up ahead, start slowing down NOW and do not wait until it's too late.
• Anticipate that the vehicle in front will stop for a traffic light, and be prepared to stop as you approach intersections.
• Tap on your brakes to warn following traffic of your intentions to slow down or stop.

For some drivers, four seconds is an eternity. For drivers who were seriously injured in a rear-end crash, they would gladly trade those four seconds for their health and safety. The decision they made to tailgate will forever remind them. For questions about driving safety, please contact RMI's HR Department.

Flammable and combustible liquids are present in a wide variety of businesses. These liquids pose a risk of accidental fires and injury to employees. A key to avoiding these types of losses is to prevent their ignition and involvement in a fire through use of approved equipment and handling practices. Flammable and combustible liquids are divided into different classes depending on their flash and boiling points as noted below. The following information will provide a brief overview regarding working with these liquids. For more detailed information, refer to NFPA 30: Flammable and Combustible Liquids Code.

Storage Cabinets
Flammable and combustible liquids, even in small volumes, can pose a significant hazard.

If you have smaller containers of flammable or combustible liquids, you should have a flammable liquids storage cabinet that is designed in accordance with section 9.5.3 of NFPA 30 (2008 edition) to safely store these liquids.

Flammable liquids storage cabinets are available in a variety of sizes and configurations to meet the application. They are designed for small applications or larger applications requiring cabinets that hold up to two 55-gallon drums.

• The maximum amount of flammable liquids that can be stored in an individual cabinet is 120 gallons of Class I, Class II, or Class IIIA liquids, per cabinet
• The total aggregate volume of Class I, Class II, or Class IIA in a group of storage cabinets shall not exceed the maximum allowable quan¬tity per control area based on occupancy where the cabinets are located.
• General Occupancy Limits
1. 30 gallons of Class IA
2. 120 gallons of IB and IC
3. 120 gallons of Class II
4. 330 gallons of Class IIIA
• Special Occupancy Limits (Assembly, Ambulatory health care, Business, Day care, Detention and Correctional, Educational, Health care, and Residential)
1. 10 gallons of Class I and II
2. 60 gallons of Class IIIA
• Keep cabinet doors closed and latched. If automatic closing doors are used, they need to be checked regularly for complete closing upon release of the fusible link.
• Place all liquid storage containers in a flammable liquids storage cabinet when not in use.
• Keep vent openings sealed with the bungs provided with the cabinet, so that flammable vapors cannot escape into the room. If the cabinet is ventilated, it should be ducted directly outdoors without compromising the performance of the cabinet as long as that is acceptable by the authority having jurisdiction
• Label each cabinet conspicuously: "Flammable – Keep Fire Away."
• Store only flammable and combustible liquids in the cabinet. Do not store acids, caustics, and other non-flammable hazardous materials in the cabinet.
• Perform regular inspections and maintenance that include checking:
1. Cap seals for leaks
2. Flame arrestors for damage or holes
3. Spring covers to ensure they close promptly
4. Metal containers for dents or corrosion
5. That any parts or containers showing signs of wear or damage are replaced and repaired immediately

Safety Containers
Flammable and combustible liquids should be stored in safety containers that are built for safe transportation, dispensing, and point-of-use handling. They should also be used for collection, transport, and disposal of used liquids.

Safety containers should be constructed of materials that will withstand moderate mechanical shock and provide fire safety features such as:

• Vapor control
• Emergency venting
• Leak proof, self-closing covers
• Pour spouts and/or fill spouts equipped with flame arrestors

These containers improve safety because they reduce the potential for spills, limit vapor release, and limit exposed surface area.

Managers, supervisors and employees all play an important role in ensuring flammable and combustible liquids are handled and stored properly. This includes training, labeling, signage, and communication. For more information on this topic, please contact RMI's HR Department.