Heat & Frost Insulators

As natural disasters continue to impact our Brothers and Sisters, we want you to know that the Union is here to support you. From the fires to hurricanes, our members are facing devastating times and if you are a member in need of assistance because of displacement or damage, there is help. We are looking for dedicated individuals to start your career with our Registered Apprenticeship Program to train as Mechanical Insulators. To learn more about the exciting insulation career opportunities, get started today.

The primary focus of the union is to assist its membership in securing employment, to defend their rights and advance their interests as working men and women, and by education and cooperation, raise them to that position in society to which they are justly entitled. HFIAW is affiliated with the AFL-CIO and the Canadian Labour Congress and represents nearly 30,000 craftsmen in a series of construction trades. Today's union insulator is skilled in the installation of mechanical insulation, fire stopping, asbestos and lead mitigation or abatement, sound attenuation and specialty fabrications required in custom mechanical insulation installations for commercial, industrial, medical, bio-technical, governmental and educational facilities among other customer types.

This often entails comparing a range of construction methods and materials to determine the most cost-effective means of obtaining a desired structural, aesthetic, or durability standard. But when it comes to insulation, the analysis needs to work in the opposite direction. The process is almost never done with the long-term ramifications of building operation in mind. Because in many situations, real "value engineering" could mean increasing the insulation thickness to offer the owner reduced cost to operate a building, along with a reduced carbon footprint and decreased greenhouse gas emissions.

Mechanical insulation - a time-tested and proven technology - involves the insulation and jacketing of mechanical systems. Union insulators have the experience, skills and resources to handle a wide-variety of insulation-related projects ranging from nuclear and electrical power plants, ethanol plants, automotive manufacturing facilities, and food-processing plants to hospitals, schools, semi-conductors and high-rise buildings. The expertise of our members runs the gamut to include the thermal control of multi-million-dollar projects, annual maintenance check-ups and even small repairs.