Danger lurks in some of the most unsuspecting places,
and industry professionals should not only adhere to the best HVAC servicing procedures but stay vigilant for common hazards as well. Safety in the field is so important and we here at Service Experts pride ourselves on maintaining safety at all times while also being industry leaders in safety training to ensure all work is done to the highest safety standards when working in your facility.
Whether you’re on a construction site for an install or on a regularly scheduled maintenance call, safety should always be on your mind. There are many aspects involved when it comes to ensuring safety while on the job, especially when you are working in the field alone which is a regular occurrence for most. We’re not only Service Experts but were also safety experts here to help make your everyday task safer.
There are many obstacles in the field and it’s hard to pinpoint which are the most dangerous. As an HVAC tech, you must observe your surroundings especially if you are going to be working in an area with moving machinery, chemicals and other service workers. A small curb in a mechanical room may initially not pose any risk but imagine you were focused on carrying material and forget about the curb. That is why it’s important to walk and observe the area you’re working in to make sure the most dangerous obstacles are out of harm’s way.
Having a step-by-step generic process for safety upon arriving at the job site can be a huge game-changer. Not only can it save you time it can also save you a trip to the hospital. This is important to keep in mind as you are also ensuring the safety of other tradesmen, property managers, and foremen in the process.
It’s highly recommended that a personal risk assessment is done upon entering the designated work area, whether that be a roof, mechanical room etc. This will ensure a worker identifies all risk associated with the work being done and keep them safe. It will also allow the technician to see what appropriate PPE is needed to get them done safely. Building off the PPE point, having extra equipment such as gloves, glasses, masks, is an important aspect of safety in the field.
As service experts and safety experts, we avoid taking shortcuts at all costs. Some tasks may take longer than others but taking a shortcut is unsafe, unfair to the customer and unprofessional. Working with electricity, moving parts and even chemicals sometimes means safety comes first and rushing a job, while it may be tempting, will just expose you to more risk.
Tool safety is another important part of overall site safety. As experienced technicians, you have already learned about tools and know when it’s the correct situation to use said tools. Improperly using a tool or the wrong tool can expose you to various risks, injury and even property damage if not used correctly. With that being said having maintenance done on tools is a great step to ensure safety for yourself, this will expose defeats or damage that can cause harm to you and others working in the vicinity.
Tool understanding & safety, regular safety meetings and upgraded training are the most important parts of safety in the field. Safety meetings should be done monthly and it’s the perfect time to air out any problems regarding safety in the field. For example, it can be an opportunity for a technician to express how the pipe threading tool is acting up and may pose a risk, so maybe it’s time for some maintenance to be done on that tool. Similarly, an employee could bring up a common safety issue they’ve been seeing on certain sites and an open discussion can occur about how to avoid and ensure safety in that situation.
Head over to our LinkedIn page to check out some of our articles posted monthly on many topics regarding safety in the field.