4
For safe use of your product
Vibration and cold
It is believed that a condition called Raynaud's Phenomenon which affects the fingers of certain individuals may be
brought about by exposure to vibration and cold. Exposure to vibration and cold may cause tingling and burning,
followed by loss of colour and numbness in the fingers. The following precautions are strongly recommended be-
cause the minimum exposure which might trigger the ailment is unknown.
Keep your body warm, especially the head and neck, feet and ankles, and hands and wrists.
Maintain good blood circulation by performing vigorous arm exercises during frequent work breaks, and also by
not smoking.
Limit the number of hours of operation. Try to fill each day with jobs where operating the trimmer or other hand-
held power equipment is not required.
If you experience discomfort redness and swelling of the fingers, followed by whitening and loss of feeling, con-
sult your physician before exposing yourself further to cold and vibration.
Failure to observe these instructions could result in damage to your health.
Repetitive stress injuries
It is believed that over-using the muscles and tendons of the fingers, hands, arms and shoulders may cause sore-
ness, swelling, numbness, weakness and extreme pain to the areas just mentioned. Certain repetitive hand activities
may put you at a high risk for developing a repetitive stress injury (RSI). To reduce the risk of RSI, do the following:
Avoid using your wrist in a bent, extended or twisted position.
Take periodic breaks to minimize repetition and rest your hands. Reduce the speed and force in which you do the
repetitive movement.
Do exercises to strengthen hand and arm muscles.
See a doctor if you feel tingling, numbness or pain in your fingers, hands, wrists or arms. The sooner RSI is diag-
nosed, the more likely permanent nerve and muscle damage can be prevented.
Failure to observe these instructions could result in damage to your health.
Proper training
Do not permit operation without proper training and protective equipment.
Be thoroughly familiar with the controls and proper use of unit.
Know how to stop the unit and shut off the engine.
Know how to unhook a harnessed unit quickly.
Never allow anyone to use the unit without proper instruction.
Failure to observe these instructions could result in damage to your health.
Wear proper clothing.
Secure hair so it is above shoulder length.
Do not wear ties, jewellery, or loose, dangling clothing which could be caught in the
unit.
Do not wear open toed footwear, or go bare-foot or barelegged.
Failure to observe these precautions could result in damage to your sight or hearing, or lead
to a serious injury.
Wear protective gear
Always wear the following protective gear when working with the trimmer.
1. Head protection (helmet): Protects the head
2. Ear muffs or ear plugs: Protect the hearing
3. Safety goggles: Protect the eyes
4. Face shield: Protects the face
5. Safety gloves: Protect the hands from cold and vibration
6. Work clothes that fit (long sleeves, long trousers): Protect the body
7. Heavy duty, non-slip protective boots (with toecaps) or non-slip work shoes
(with toecaps): Protect the feet
8. Shin guards: Protect the legs
Failure to observe these precautions could result in damage to your sight or hearing, or
lead to a serious injury.
When necessary, please use the protective gear below.
Dust mask: Protects the breathing apparatus
Bee net: To deal with attacks by bees
WARNING
