#safety

Our company recently had an incident where someone was operating a scissor lift and hit a fire sprinkler with it. The sprinkler activated, and the area flooded. This issue, unfortunately, isn’t that uncommon in the electrical, construction, and HVAC trades, but it’s preventable with proper training and attention to detail. Those of you who work […]

Being in an industry that requires a lot of travel—local or regional—can be a great thing for people who enjoy driving. It also comes with several more risks and opportunities for roadway accidents than someone who just has a round-trip commute to a single location every day.  We’re all aware of the issues of texting […]

DISCLAIMER: HVAC School is NOT an official OSHA safety training resource! Although we provide safety tips in good faith, our website is not a substitute for safety training from an authorized OSHA training source. Many things may deter people from working in the HVAC industry. Perhaps surprisingly, exposure to heights could be the deal-breaker. (Not […]

I hear the following phrase a lot: It's the amperage that kills you, not the voltage. While there is truth to the statement, it is sort of like saying, “It's the size of the vehicle, not the speed that kills you when it hits you.” OK, so that's a pretty bad example, but hopefully, it […]

Just like Shrek, I like to think about the heating sequence of operations as an onion—it has layers. And each layer builds upon the previous one. We have written previously in great detail about gas furnaces, from top to bottom. I want to focus today on why there is a sequence of operations and how […]

As the evening approaches on this All Hallow's Eve, Reformation Day, or Halloween (depending on your preference), let us take a moment to focus on some of the truly terrifying elements of our trade—because the scariest stories are TRUE. Real Ghost Stories  The year was 1921, and a wealthy family purchased a new home in […]

DISCLAIMER: HVAC School is NOT an official OSHA safety training resource! Although we provide safety tips in good faith, our website is not a substitute for safety training from an authorized OSHA training source.   Let’s be honest: most of us probably got into the HVAC trade because we enjoy working with our hands. Unfortunately, […]

Some of the scariest practices that occur in the field surround brazing practices and tank and regulator handling. A few obvious tips are: Store tanks completely secure and upright with nothing nearby that can easily open or damage the tank valve. NEVER store tanks in a torch kit with it off only at the torch […]

DISCLAIMER: HVAC School is NOT an official OSHA safety training resource! Although we provide safety tips in good faith, our website is not a substitute for safety training from an authorized OSHA training source. Although we primarily work with our hands, our eyes are one of our most valuable assets in the industry. After all, […]

 In this episode of the HVAC School Podcast, host Bryan Orr speaks with Jennifer Manzo, founder of HVA-Chicks Coalition. Jennifer shares her unique background as a longtime teacher and homeschooler who stumbled into the HVAC trade while researching vocational options for her homeschooling students. They discuss the inspiration behind HVA-Chicks, a free training coalition […]