This week, we asked Tod to discuss what safety protocols he has to follow and/ or learning about in his classes and internships, any safety training that he was tasked with completing in an effort to stay safe on the job!
Things I have learned:
On my first day of class, during our first hour, one of my classmates was in front of us demonstrating how to correctly operate a fire extinguisher. He called the method he used the “PASS” technique. That stands for Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep – a skill he learned while serving in the Air Force. We’ve all seen them hanging on walls in buildings and schools, most of us have them somewhere in our homes, boats, and RV’s, but do we know how to use them?
One by one, our instructor had each classmate who wanted to try, go through the PASS training steps using a live working fire extinguisher putting out a “pretend” fire in an abandoned BBQ grill. When we were finished with the exercise, I realized that it isn’t enough to just understand how a safety device works, you must be able to execute properly to get results.
Since that first day, we have learned countless safety rules and protocols. From wearing steel-toed shoes, to safely lighting an Oxyacetylene torch. There’s eye protection needed for welding, proper setup of a 24-foot ladder against a building, correct operation of a chop saw, and always wearing safety glasses and gloves when required.
Slow Down, and walk through the procedures
We’ve learned so many safety steps that you can’t commit them all to memory, so you have to slow down and walk through the procedures before you start your project each day. We also have a responsibility to keep classmates safe as well, so always be looking out for the person beside you. Remember that one loose wire, one stray shard of scrap metal, one oily rag, or one slip on a ladder, can change your life forever.
Stop and walk through your safety steps every time you start at your job site, and always be aware of anything that doesn’t look safe.
Follow along with our students’ progress here.
Learn more about the Generation T movement here.
duct leaks and insulating trunk lines and cleaning outside condenser coils, changing filters and draining condensate traps. All with the help of YouTube videos, showing how to do small DIY projects. Soon my tinkering went from just a hobby to a craving to learn more. When I saw an opportunity in my small business to 
Technology, yup…we got that!
My Dad, Pat (retired), was a hard-working man. Although he did not work in the trades himself, he was a very skilled handyman. As I grew up, he taught me much of what I know today and fostered my love for working with tools and using my hands to solve problems. To this day, he is my role model.
that it would be a smart idea to have a backup plan in case something happens with our ranch.
I was good at it too. When I graduated from high school, I went to Denison Job Corps for carpentry. I was there for a year and got my diploma. I was so happy that I got it. When I got home, I started working for a carpenter. I was doing good, but I wasn’t making enough to pay my bills. They would cut my hours, and I had enough. I decided to look for a different carpentry job, but couldn’t find any. My mother told me that Dalton AG, Inc. was hiring, so I applied and got a full-time job working in fabrication and assembly, and have worked with them for the last year.