Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine September 2024

HVACR NewsMagazine September 2024

Tech News

Am I taking a shortcut? Using the right tool for the job. We have become so dependent upon cordless tools we have forgotten rules on corded tools, like using the proper extension cord for the tool and never using a corded tool while working in a crawlspace. While tool quality has improved over the decades, failures do occur, and ground faults are deadly. It is also a good idea when servicing equipment in a crawlspace to check for voltage present at the chassis to ground before continuing service work. A failing motor or other component can induce current to the chassis if not properly grounded. The eyes have it. Eye injury of just about any type can be life altering. In many instances safety glasses are not adequate. Installers changing out or installing grilles are likely candidates to experience safety glass failure. Safety glasses sometimes fail to do the job when debris rebounds off the face or forehead. Safety goggles keep debris from finding its way into the eye. Prescription eyewear may not prevent impact safety and generally does not provide the necessary coverage around the eye to prevent injury. From every vantage point, eye injuries are mostly avoidable and can be terribly traumatic. Water everywhere. Washing a condenser is a maintenance requirement. It is important to remember to turn off the power. When working adjacent to other powered equipment, it might be wise to shut it down as well. A technician in our area lost his life while washing a condenser where the dryer vent was close by. It seems the dryer was not grounded and the aluminum vent carried current to the outside damper. The wash water carried the current directly to the

tech. While this accident may be viewed as unavoidable, it drives the point home, everyone must perform their assigned jobs well. Otherwise, that negligence may cost someone their life. A firm foundation. Two eyes, two ears, two lungs, two hands, two arms, two legs, but only one back. It is easy to understand most of the population has or will experience problems with their backs. When one suffers with back pain the entire body suffers. Poor posture, favoring one set of muscles over the other and permanent nerve damage. With the innovation we are seeing in microsurgery, complete relief may be only a few years away. The reason stimulation therapy is so popular these days is the fact that all the other attempts at giving patients relief do not have a high probability of success. Herniated discs have been treated with different methods for years and now generally are treated with stimulation therapy. This is not an attempt to say other

back therapy or research is not valuable. Regardless, we need to make use of dollies, ramps, lifts, and an extra set of hands as necessary.

Final wrap up . As a final statement we must remember; Think when you work, so you can work tomorrow. Never limit thoughts about safety. Many years ago, industry didn’t recognize the value of protecting hearing. I drove fire apparatus decades ago sitting just a few feet from the siren and even less distance from the