Safety - 5
SAFETY
damage and vibration. Check connections regularly.
Tighten loose connections.
• Escaping fluid under pressure can penetrate the skin
causing serious injury. Avoid the hazard by relieving
pressure before disconnecting hydraulic or other lines.
Tighten all connections before applying pressure.
• Search for leaks with a piece of cardboard. Protect
hands and body from high pressure fluids.
• If an accident occurs, see a doctor immediately. Any
fluid injected into the skin must be surgically removed
within a few hours or gangrene may result. Doctors
unfamiliar with this type of injury should reference a
knowledgeable medical source.
Prevent Fires
• Never remove fuel cap, or add fuel with engine running
or hot. Allow engine to cool for several minutes.
• Never store equipment with fuel in the tank inside a
building where fumes may reach an open flame or spark.
• Allow engine to cool before storing in any enclosure.
• To reduce fire hazard, keep engine free of grass,
leaves, or excessive grease.
Tire Safety
Explosive separation of a tire and rim parts can cause
serious injury or death:
• Do not attempt to mount a tire without the proper
equipment and experience to perform the job.
• Always maintain the correct tire pressure. Do not inflate
the tires above the recommended pressure. Never weld or
heat a wheel and tire assembly. The heat can cause an
increase in air pressure resulting in a tire explosion.
Welding can structurally weaken or deform the wheel.
• When inflating tires, use a clip-on chuck and extension
hose long enough to allow you to stand to one side and not
in front of or over the tire assembly.
• Check tires for low pressure, cuts, bubbles, damaged
rims or missing lug bolts and nuts.
Handling Fuel Safely
Fuel and fuel vapors are highly flammable and
explosive:
• Do not refuel machine while you smoke, when machine
is near an open flame or sparks, or when engine is running.
Stop engine and allow to cool before filling.
• Never remove the fuel cap or add fuel with the engine
running.
• Never fill fuel tank or drain fuel from a machine in an
enclosed area. Fill fuel tank outdoors.
• Prevent fires. Clean up spilled fuel immediately.
• Do not store machine with fuel in tank in a building
where fumes may reach an open flame or spark.
• Prevent fire and explosion caused by static electric
discharge. Use only non-metal, portable fuel containers
approved by the Underwriter’s Laboratory (U.L.) or the
American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM). If using
a funnel, make sure it is plastic and has no screen or filter.
MIF
• Static electric discharge can ignite gasoline vapors in an
ungrounded fuel container. Remove the fuel container from
the bed of a vehicle or the trunk of a car and place on the
ground away from the vehicle before filling. Keep nozzle in
contact with container opening while filling.
• When practical, remove equipment from trailers or truck
beds and refuel them on the ground. If this is not possible,
use a portable, plastic fuel container to refuel equipment on
a truck bed or trailer.
• For gasoline engines, do not use gas with methanol.
Methanol is harmful to your health and to the environment.