You can’t deny the importance of both quality and safety in construction. Some say “Quality is the Standard. Safety is the Priority.” For example, there is a lot of quality control and safety compliance when it comes to installing spray foam insulation.

Whether it’s for a residential or commercial builder, or retrofit installation, there are several Quality considerations when we bid a spray foam insulation job, including:

• Product/material requirements
• Building envelope design
• Meeting (or exceeding) building code

The priority on a job, though, is not about the product and technical details. It’s safety. And we start preparing and training on spray foam safety long before arriving to a job site. Being safe and avoiding hazards ensures that we get home safe to our families each and every day. It also ensures timely completion of jobs without injury, which is critical for our customers to stay on schedule, so it’s a business priority.

Safety is the #1 Priority

Spray foam installer training requires an understanding of all aspects of safety compliance – a safe job site, proper PPE, equipment start-up and maintenance, foam inspection, etc. We also need to know how to walk through a job site to look for safety hazards and how to measure the temperatures of material, substrates, and the building. Mastering all of these safety considerations are critical to ensuring safety compliance on the job and ultimately customer satisfaction with our work.

Safely installing open-cell spray foam insulation in a new home in Savannah, Georgia.

This is why we created a playbook to outline these safety requirements but to also standardize procedures for bidding, estimating and performing foam application operations across all USI locations. In addition, a training and certification program exists to ensure safety, quality and consistency across branch locations.

Spray Foam Safety

One of the most important ways USI ensures we meet the demands of our customers is having proper knowledge and training on insulation and spray foam safety procedures.

“Our playbook and training material doesn’t just outline operational and maintenance responsibilities, but also safety requirements. It’s part of my job to make sure those requirements are clear to everyone.” – Matt Frauenhofer, USI National Spray Foam Technical Trainer

Doing our job safely every time ensures that we deliver what we promise on time and in accordance with safety regulations. When we are safe, our builder customers get to close on time, but most importantly, it ensures we get home safely every day and can do it again the next day. USI qualified installers follow strict safety requirements on all job sites. Having personal protective equipment (PPE) such as fresh or supplied air breathing apparatus, safety harnesses, and full protective clothing is important. But knowledge of the equipment and tools to do the job are just as important.

We post signs at every job site that inform anyone walking on to the job site that spray foam insulation is being installed in the building structure by a specially trained and qualified crew from USI. The sign uses OSHA symbols to inform people of the following:

• Respiratory hazard during the application of insulation materials
• DO NOT ENTER without proper breathing protection
• No smoking, open flames, or “hot work” in or around spray foam insulation
• Respiratory apparatus and protective body clothing must be worn

The health and safety of our spray foam installers is of the utmost importance. Every installer must wear proper protective clothing and gear to ensure they are protected during the application of spray foam. The suit, gloves and air mask protect their clothing and skin from contact with raw materials and ensures they do not inhale vapors and particulates. USI also goes to great lengths to ensure other occupants of the building stay away from the premises during spraying and for 24 hours after spraying is complete.

Summary

Installing spray foam insulation properly requires quality control and safety compliance. In that sense, quality and safety are equally important. It’s undeniable that having a great safety program enables us to do great work while ensuring we all get home safe to our families every day. Safety is a priority for USI and a priority for our customers.

For more information about our residential or commercial spray foam insulation operations, contact us to find a branch near you and get a free consultation. USI believes in excellence in every step of the process and ensures timely completion and quality of service, time after time.