Safety
DANGER
Theremaybeburiedutilitylinesinthework
area.Diggingintothemmaycauseashock
oranexplosion.
Havethepropertyorworkareamarkedfor
buriedlinesanddonotdiginmarkedareas.
Contactyourlocalmarkingserviceorutility
companytohavethepropertymarked(for
example,intheUS,call811orinAustralia,
call1100forthenationwidemarkingservice).
GeneralSafety
Alwaysfollowallsafetyinstructionstoavoidserious
injuryordeath.
•Alwayscarrytheattachmentclosetotheground;
refertoTransportPosition(page5).
•Havethepropertyorworkareamarkedforburied
linesandotherobjects,anddonotdiginmarked
areas.
•ReadandunderstandthecontentofthisOperator’s
Manualbeforestartingtheengine.
•Useyourfullattentionwhileoperatingthe
machine.Donotengageinanyactivitythat
causesdistractions;otherwise,injuryorproperty
damagemayoccur.
•Neverallowchildrenoruntrainedpeopleto
operatethemachine.
•Keepyourhandsandfeetawayfromthemoving
componentsandattachments.
•Donotoperatethemachinewithouttheguards
andothersafetyprotectivedevicesinplaceand
workingonthemachine.
•Keepbystandersandpetsasafedistanceaway
fromthemachine.
•Stopthemachine,shutofftheengine,andremove
thekeybeforeservicing,fueling,orunclogging
themachine.
Improperlyusingormaintainingthismachinecan
resultininjury.T oreducethepotentialforinjury,
complywiththesesafetyinstructionsandalwayspay
attentiontothesafety-alertsymbol,whichmeans
Caution,Warning,orDanger—personalsafety
instruction.Failuretocomplywiththeseinstructions
mayresultinpersonalinjuryordeath.
Youcanndadditionalsafetyinformationwhere
neededthroughoutthisOperator’sManual.
SlopeSafety
•Operatethemachineupanddownslopeswith
theheavyendofthemachineuphill.Weight
distributionchangeswithattachments.Anempty
attachmentmakestherearofthemachinethe
heavyend,andafullattachmentmakesthe
frontofthemachinetheheavyend.Mostother
attachmentsmakethefrontofmachinetheheavy
end.
•Keeptheattachmentintheloweredposition
whenonslopes.Raisingtheattachmentona
slopeaffectsthestabilityofthemachine.
•Slopesareamajorfactorrelatedtolossofcontrol
andtip-overaccidents,whichcanresultinsevere
injuryordeath.Operatingthemachineonany
slopeoruneventerrainrequiresextracaution.
•Establishyourownproceduresandrulesfor
operatingonslopes.Theseproceduresmust
includesurveyingthesitetodeterminewhich
slopesaresafeformachineoperation.Always
usecommonsenseandgoodjudgmentwhen
performingthissurvey.
•Slowdownanduseextracareonhillsides.Ground
conditionscanaffectthestabilityofthemachine.
•Avoidstartingorstoppingonaslope.Ifthe
machinelosestraction,proceedslowly,straight
downtheslope.
•Avoidturningonslopes.Ifyoumustturn,turn
slowlyandkeeptheheavyendofthemachine
uphill.
•Keepallmovementsonslopesslowandgradual.
Donotmakesuddenchangesinspeedor
direction.
•Ifyoufeeluneasyoperatingthemachineona
slope,donotdoit.
•Watchforholes,ruts,orbumps,asuneventerrain
couldoverturnthemachine.Tallgrasscanhide
obstacles.
•Usecautionwhenoperatingonwetsurfaces.
Reducedtractioncouldcausesliding.
•Donotoperatethemachineneardrop-offs,
ditches,embankments,orbodiesofwater.The
machinecouldsuddenlyrolloverifawheelor
trackgoesovertheedgeortheedgecavesin.
Maintainasafedistancebetweenthemachine
andanyhazard.
•Donotremoveoraddattachmentsonaslope.
•Donotparkthemachineonahillsideorslope.
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