More often than not, an HVAC technician has excellent job stability, an impressive salary, and opportunities to work on challenging projects. The career path is considered to be quite lucrative in today’s times, but not without its share of hazards. If you’re a business owner offering AC maintenance services, you must establish proper protocols and train the technicians extensively on safety guidelines. These are often part of the building codes and city regulations to preserve the property and keep damage at bay.
Here, we’ve enlisted the most critical safety tips that air conditioning technicians should follow to do their job safely.
-
Protective Gear Is A Must:
HVAC technicians should always wear protective gear while working. Their daily work involves constant exposure to dust, debris, and other contaminants, including fumes from poisonous gases. They may also need to use a respirator to protect their lungs from potentially dangerous particles in the air. If protection for the face or safety goggles isn’t available, they should use a respirator with built-in eye protection.
If proper safety measures are not performed, AC technicians risk getting potentially damaging liquid or debris particles in their eyes during air conditioner cleaning. They should also wear protective gloves and sleeves to prevent cuts when working with glass or metal sheets. HVAC technicians should always wear slip-resistant shoes to avoid falling when working on wet floors or other potentially hazardous situations.
-
Use of Proper Times As Required:
A trained and experienced HVAC technician knows the tools for any job. Some of their commonly used tools for air conditioner maintenance include wire strippers, vacuum gauges, clamp meters, various wrenches, anemometers, and so on. They should also keep a leak detector handy as leaks pose serious threats. Improper use of such tools or opting for the wrong tool can cause further property damage, besides injuring the technician himself or others around him.
It is also essential to ensure their tools are in working condition; routine tool maintenance is a must in this regard as it goes a long way in defects or damages in tools and keeps them working as they should. It is one of the core duties of an HVAC technician to maintain a safe working environment.
-
Identification of hazards:
HVAC technicians should thoroughly assess the situation before performing any air conditioning repair job. This will give them a clear idea of the situations they will work under.
Especially if you’re new to this profession, you should exert extra caution to examine the surroundings to ensure safety. Rushing into AC cleaning or any AC repair job can be hazardous. You should get extra electrical safety training if you’re working with a lot of electricity as an HVAC technician. They also need to be prepared to aid in rescue operations if needed.
-
Chemical safety:
Most chemicals HVAC professionals work in situations which are potentially perilous to harm their health. Detergents, solvents, refrigerants, and cleaning solutions are all examples of such chemicals. Mishandling them may cause serious harm.
Because of the potential for explosion, combustible chemicals need special handling. When storing or transporting chemicals, they should always adhere to safety protocols. In addition, there are a few safety steps to take, such as never mixing chemicals, storing chemicals in their original containers to prevent injury, and strictly adhering to signs and instructions while working with chemicals.
-
Avoid shortcuts:
Maintaining the equipment, wearing protective gear, or examining the environment will only be effective if the technician looks for shortcuts. Taking shortcuts can be disastrous, as an AC technician works with electricity chemicals and extreme temperatures. Safety should always be a priority, so rushing a repair is not a good idea.
-
Avoid shocks:
Professionals in the HVAC industry often interact with electrical devices and take every care to prevent electrocution and electric shock. This is most likely to happen if you’re repairing a leak in your HVAC system. Dripping water on electrical components is bad news for the system and the technician. The first step is to switch off the primary circuit breaker before investigating the problem to prevent this from happening. This ensures that no one will be electrocuted and shields the appliances from damage.
Technician safety is paramount whether you own an HVAC service business or work as a field tech. HVAC accidents can be life-threatening and costly, explaining why you should follow these safety tips earnestly in daily operations. Working with HVAC equipment, such as air conditioners, heating or cooling systems, etc., involves dangers. Even if you’re calling an HVAC technician to your place for some repairs/servicing, you should ensure they adhere to the best servicing practices and stay vigilant.
