Making Time

I think it's safe to say that most working professionals, whether it be in the HVACR industry or nearly any other trade/craft, are strapped for time. In this day and age, if you're a full-time employee, the odds are high that a 40-hour work week is something often dreamed of, but rarely (if at all) realized. I'm sure more than a few feel blessed to be busy. Indeed, one of the comments I heard from the auditor charged with reviewing our readership and Publisher's Statement for the RSES Journal half-joked with me this morning during a phone call that "in this economy, juggling a lot of responsibilities is a good thing right?"

I have to say though, that in regard to that statement, I agree - but also disagree. That's because while being busy certainly is a good thing, being TOO busy is not. It affords opportunities for things to slip through the cracks or miss chances to capitalize on a project, program or idea. I've been able to catch up with several industry colleagues because I finally started utilizing my Twitter account - something I haven't done in several months. And I can't tell you how many times I scold myself at night for not updating this blog sooner.

So what can we do to try and stem the tide of heavier workloads, longer hours and more time on the job - especially for those who are out on rooftops or overheated office spaces trying to work on equipment during these warm summer months? I don't purport to have all of the answers, but I have a few ideas that have worked for me, and thought I'd share them with you:

1. Make a prioritized list at the start of each day, naming five projects, jobs, meetings, calls - whatever - that you have to get accomplished that day. It's amazing how often I've gotten to 5 p.m. (or later) and said to myself "How did I forget to get THAT done today!"


2. Set boundaries. By this I mean give yourself limits on how many phone calls, e-mails, texts you're going to take each hour. In this era of constant contact and information overload, it's easy to become overwhelmed just trying to keep up with what everyone is telling you. Again, this must be done with a grain of salt - if your supervisor is calling you right after you've put on all of your PPE for a job, you may still want to take that call. Still, having that mental wall can help you focus on projects and allow you to complete the tasks you need to get done.


3. Know your limits. Unfortunately, the economic downturn has put many out of work - and put many more under the strain of needing to do more with less. Everyone wants to take pride in their work and do the best they can (at least one would hope so), but we also each have a breaking point. Crossing that threshold will not benefit you, your company or your customer. If you're getting to that point on a regular basis, you need to schedule a time to talk to your supervisor or colleagues and figure out a way to better accomplish the tasks at hand. If you don't, you run the risk of potentially causing a risk of injury to yourself or a coworker, putting a customer in harm's way, or potentially driving that customer to seek another service provider if the work done is poor or inconsistent.


4. Make time to recover. All of us need SOME time for ourselves. That "downtime" is what allows you to recharge your batteries, refocus and enjoy exactly why you do what you do. The adage of "work to live, not live to work," is one that I think is an excellent way to look at this point. Granted, for some of us, "loving what you do means not working a day in your life" is also a moniker we live by. But it's critical to make time for yourself, family and friends. Failing to do so will eventually lead to resentment of the job and increased pressure on the time you do have available.

I say this because while I have a very full workload covering an industry I've gotten to enjoy and respect a great deal, I'm beyond excited to be the best man in a friend's wedding taking place this weekend. Living life to the fullest means working hard and being proud of the results. But it also means living a little too.

Regulation - With Moderation?

Over the past few years, there has been a marked increase in the amount of regulatory involvement by state and federal agencies as it relates to the HVACR industry. I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. Certainly too much regulation can hamper productivity and potentially thwart business growth - but in our trade, one of the long-standing knocks has been the LACK of equality in terms of regulation. By that, I mean that the lack of national standards or guidelines has resulted in a pathwork quilt of regulations that varies from state to state - and in some states, from county to county or even city to city. And that's something that in the long-term, could seriously stunt and hamper the growth of our industry.

There is no question that the current administration is looking for more ways to promote energy-efficiency and create "green" jobs concurrently. With heating/cooling systems serving as the single largest user of energy in our homes and businesses, the focus over the past few years has been to push initiatives that will makes this equipment more efficient. It also explains why initiatives such as the $1,500 Energy Star tax break and other incentives have been cornerstones of these programs. There certainly is some correlation to the fact that homeowners can receive a rebate good for 30% of the total cost - with no upper limit - on the installation of a geothermal heat pump and the significant growth that sector is seeing right now. And the new Energy Star requirements for furnaces, heat pumps and air conditioners certainly will present new opportunities - and potential headaches - for HVACR contractors and technicians in North America.

But at the end of the day, the training and education that HVACR professionals receive will dictate just HOW efficient these systems are. As more than one OEM executive has shared with me, "we can design equipment to be 20-SEER-plus efficient...but if the installer doesn't put the equipment in properly, or if the ductwork isn't properly installed, that efficiency is never going to be realized."

That brings me to my point. Too much regulation is harmful, and can decimate an industry (just ask railroad executives who were around in the 1970s how good things were for them then before deregulation under the Staggers Rail Act helped them level the playing the field with trucks driving over federally subsidized highways). But not enough regulation can open the door to inefficiency, poor workmanship, disgruntled customers and put a black eye on an entire trade.

In March, the Iowa Department of Public Health's Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board announced that it found RSES' Certificate Member Specialist (CMS) and Certificate Member (CM) designations acceptable for satisfying the state's educational training requirement to obtain its Service Technician HVAC Specialty License. Certainly from RSES' perspective, it's exciting to see a state body value the training and education needed to pass a CMS or CM exam, and allow it to serve as a means of qualifying licenses for HVACR professionals.

But my question is, why does Iowa require this degree of education and training, but if you live across the Mississippi River in Illinois, all an individual must do is pass an EPA 608 test to handle refrigerant - and that person is now somehow qualified to work on any piece of HVACR equipment in the state? THAT is the larger issue that regulation must look to address. RSES is working closely with partners such as NATE, HARDI, ASHRAE, ACCA, PHCC, NEBB and other organizations to raise awareness to the fact that while equipment may be extremely efficient, it still takes well-trained people to install that equipment properly and allow it to operate in the manner in which it was designed.

Too much regulation has the same effect as a micromanaging boss - it makes us nervous, uncomfortable and unsure as to just how we are supposed to operate on our own. But too little regulation leaves much to be determined by individuals who may or may not be qualified to make decisions that can seriously impact the efficiency, air quality and even health of people everywhere. A little regulation, with a touch of moderation, might go a long way to having every state be a little more like Iowa.

The Runner and the HVACR Professional

For the record, I'm a runner. I didn't always used to be. In fact, when I was playing football and basketball, I looked at running not as a sport, but as something to be loathed. Despised. Hated. It was punishment for us because we lost by a certain score, didn't beat someone out on a play, etc. I think there is a part of my feet that will forever be permanently worn into the floorboards of the old indoor track upstairs at Loyola University of Chicago's Alumni Gym (that place was a sweatbox in the summer...that's why we always ran and played unofficial pickup games there).

Between the heat and the running, it was brutal. It was miserable. It certainly kicked my behind on more than a few occasions. But as I look back in hindsight, it also made me better. And almost ironically, now I love to run in the heat. I am not a huge fan of going outside when it's 45 degrees here in Chicago and trying to put in 10 miles. But if it's 90 and climbing, get me out by the lake and let me see if I can do 15+.

So just what does this have to do with HVACR in any remote manner? Like my loathing for running, many professionals I've met and spoken with would prefer to pass on attending seminars, training courses or workshops. This is perhaps because a.) they aren't working, and if their company isn't paying them while they train, it's valuable free time (which many of us don't have much of to begin with) they have to surrender; or b.) they would rather spend that time in the field staying on top of service calls and not getting behind. This is ESPECIALLY true during the busy summer months.

But when I was putting together an article on training and testing for the June 2011 RSES Journal, I took note of an interesting comment I heard from an HVACR professional who also serves as an instructor at a community college in southeastern Virginia. He noted that the HVACR industry was constantly changing, and "how can we ask our customers and students to never stop training if we are not willing to do so?"

As an example, tomorrow (June 4) RSES and its Central New York Chapter are teaming with Danfoss to put on a Natural Refrigerants Seminar. The program, which will have a focus on carbon dioxide, has attracted registrants from Missouri to Arkansas, and all points in between. We are hearing more and more about companies and industries exploring expanded use of C02, butane, ammonia, and other "natural" refrigerants. While these materials have always been used in the heat-transfer cycle, it appears the onus to put them into more widespread use is growing. And though it is true that these refrigerants must be handled very carefully (not that others shouldn't, but the toxicity/flammability issues with these are tremendous), they certainly aren't going away.

That hasn't been lost on the attendees going to tomorrow's seminar. It certainly hasn't been lost on the individuals that have been coming to training seminars held at RSES Headquarters in Des Plaines, IL (as well as at other locations around the country); and other organizations such as Emerson, Honeywell and Carrier have seen full-room turnouts at educational sessions they've held. What does this mean? It means that despite all the pain and suffering, industry professionals recognize the benefits of training. It makes them more employable. It makes their jobs easier. It makes them better. And it has them coming back time and time again.

The motto of "practice makes perfect" is true in many areas of life, from training for a marathon to preparing for a marathon day of service calls in 100-degree heat. But knowing that the training and continuing education helps make those calls a little shorter or a little easier is exactly why it is imperative HVACR service professionals never stop learning. And if you see that guy running by the side of the road waving at your service truck, feel free to wave back. I'll be glad to get home and step inside a cool room after I feel and enjoy the heat during that run.

OSHA, GHS and HVACR - How The Acronyms May Affect You

Last week, OSHA Administrator Dr. David Michaels announced during an address to the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Expo that the regulatory body will issue the globally harmonized system for classification and labeling of chemicals (GHS) in August 2011. For those of you wondering just what the GHS is, you are not alone. Many individuals in the HVACR trade who don't deal with international shipments, etc., may ask why there needs to be any change to the current material safety data sheets that everyone has gotten so familiar with.

Unfortunately, the current OSHA hazard communication standard used in the United States is not consistent internationally. This can be incredibly burdensome for folks involved in international trade. The goal is to have a set of standards that are universally recognized and easy to use. Numerous countries, including the European Union, have already adopted the GHS, with varying implementation schedules. Here in the U.S., OSHA has been exploring this possibility since 2006, and has had various periods of comments, discussion and other meetings to determine the proper course of action. For more on OSHA's take as to why this should be implemented, click here.

This will impact those in the HVACR trade in a variety of ways. Under the new rule, employers will need to learn the new chemical classification criteria, replace chemical labels, use new Safety Data Sheets (SDS) instead of existing MSDSs, and train all employees in the new hazard communication system as it relates to the various chemicals, refrigerants and other products used in the industry. HCS also requires chemical manufacturers and importers to evaluate the hazards of the chemicals they produce or import. The rule also requires they prepare labels and MSDSs in an MSDS management system to convey any hazards and associated protective measures to downstream customers, a.k.a., users of the chemicals - in the case of our trade, HVACR service technicians, contractors, and facilities and maintenance managers.

In addition, all employers with hazardous chemicals in their workplaces must have a hazard communication program, including:

Labels on containers;
Information and training on changes between MSDSs and SDSs; and
Training for employees.

This means that HVACR service contractors storing refrigerants and other chemicals will have to relabel their canisters and other related containers, etc. They also will be required to educate all employees about those materials, what they contain, etc., or possibly subject to rulings for OSHA violations. Make sure to stay on top of these developments, and contact your local OSHA office to make sure your facility is in compliance.

Why HVACR Pros Need a "Social Network"

In my last blog (which I readily admit was posted far too long ago), I discussed social media and why sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn are becoming increasingly important to today's HVACR professionals. The ability to network with others in your profession electronically offers tremendous opportunities if done properly, not only giving you access to more information and knowledge, but potentially introducing you to new job options or facets of the trade you are unfamiliar with.

But building these networks electronically also benefits you in another way - it can make it that much easier to develop a personal relationship if/when you happen to meet your peers at an industry conference, seminar, trade show, RSES Chapter meeting, or even your local watering hole. I know first-hand that benefit - when I first joined RSES as the then Editor-in-Chief of RSES Journal, I had little background in the HVACR trade. And while I had worked on numerous trade publications involved in industrial applications, this industry was very new to me.

But in establishing relationships with people on LinkedIn, Zoom and other social sites, I rapidly became exposed to the knowledge of those who do HVACR everyday. Even more importantly, as I "met" them online, I also got to find out where they would be at industry events. That allowed me to also meet them in person, and when I did, a solid rapport had already been established.

Those types of relationships have been invaluable. For me personally, they have helped me better understand our industry, where it is headed, the technologies being developed to improve it, and the need for improved training and education to help those involved in it. Professionally, it has allowed me to meet some tremendous indviduals who I can call on for advice, information and even to author a feature (this was recently the case when I called on a friend and industry colleague to author a feature for us on mechanical subcooling in an upcoming issue. Keep your eyes peeled for the July issue of RSES Journal for this interesting article).

Your social network can encompass a wide range of professionals in your craft and friends. Hopefully, like me, you'll find that those individuals are often one and the same.

Are You Connected?

It seems as though everyone and everything is talking about how "Social Media" is revolutionizing the business world. From news articles to consultants and "gurus," it seems as though everyone on the planet is talking about how this new electronic method of constant contact can create revenue streams that would make John Rockefeller envious. But just HOW does social media equate into profitability for today's business owner. For an HVACR contractor seeking more customers or a service technician looking to improve his standing within his organization, do Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter really offer enough of an upside to explore the possibilities?

The answer, in no uncertain terms, is yes. The key is understanding how these platforms work, how they can benefit indviduals in the trade, and the importance of managing them once you have something started.

Facebook and Twitter offer the ability to constantly provide updates to "followers" on things your business is doing. That means that an HVACR contractor can promote specials, unique programs, or content that can add value to those followers with regular posts and updates. The key is to make those updates a.)relevant; b.)interesting; and c.)timely. Sending out a link to a site that can give homeowners information on how to lower air-conditioning bills in early November isn't going to garner a lot of interest if that business is in New England. But put out an update about how rising oil prices may impact indviduals purchasing fuel oil for their homes, and that same post in that same area carries a LOT of cache.

If you are a technician with a Facebook page, posting information about your job, links that are useful to other technicians, discussing smart phone apps, etc., are all great ways to both utilize social media and connect with other professionals in the field. LinkedIn can provide a useful platform to connect with other technicans in a wide variety of forums and service topic areas. It also gives you a viable option to place updated information about your experience, expertise and training.

Don't look at these portals as simply personal highlight pages or a way to pass the time between jobs. Turning them into interesting, professionaly focused windows to your HVACR world can make social media a truly profitable doorway.

Fighting Fear

Having returned from the 2011 ASHRAE Annual Conference and AHR Expo in Las Vegas (and digging out from 2+ feet of snow upon my return to Chicago!), and taking a bit of time to reflect on this year's events, there is little doubt in my mind that the industry as a whole is much more optimistic than it was a year ago. Manufacturers are excited about what appears to be small but steady growth, suppliers are excited about renewed interest from both OEM's and distributors, and contractors and technicians finally seem to feel as though jobs are coming back their way.

But with all this optimism also comes some deeply rooted concerns. And chief among them is a topic that could slow any recovery in the HVACR marketplace to a crawl - refrigerant availability. Now it's logical to argue that this couldn't possibly be a reason for worry. But unfortunately, it's a very real possibility. Last year, in fact, there were several weeks when R-410A was in short supply. In fact, it was easier to get R-22 than it was R-410A. Other refrigerants also were difficult to acquire. And the reason is simple: the components necessary to make these refrigerant blends are becoming scarcer. Countries such as China that supply some of the raw materials used in refrigerant manufacturing are keeping increasing amounts for their own use. And there is no sign that that trend is going to change. Heightened tensions in places such as Egypt and the elsewhere in the Middle East certainly won't help bring the cost of those raw materials DOWN.

So what is the best way to fight this fear? In simple terms, BE EDUCATED. Talk to your refrigerant suppliers directly and honestly. Find out what they are hearing from others on the street, their counterparts in other areas of the country, etc. At this year's show, I had several frank discussions with folks from Airgas, DuPont and Arkema. I can assure you that these companies and their representatives want nothing more than to make sure the proper information is relayed to you, the working HVACR professional.

Fear doesn't help anyone. It erodes confidence, and sometimes causes individuals to make rash or improper decisions. It most certainly drives us to be more cautious, sometimes to our own detriment. I'm not saying that to fight that fear we all need to go out tomorrow and fly in the face of rationality by doing something outlandish or that could threaten your business (so no, don't go and buy 10 pallets of R-410A now). But striking a balance and fighting fear with proper information and education just might help make 2011 your best year yet. We're all hoping it is.