Printed in U.S.A.
2-4
918070/FP0811
Use care on loose ground. Working heavy loads over
loose, soft ground or uneven, broken terrain can cause
dangerous side-load conditions and possible tip over
and injury. Traveling with a suspended load or an
unbalanced load can also be hazardous.
Stay away from ditches and other weak support sur-
faces. Be sure the surrounding ground has adequate
strength to support the weight of the machine and the
load.
If temperatures are changing, be cautious of dark and
wet patches when working or traveling over frozen
ground.
Stay away from ditches, overhangs and other weak
support surfaces. Halt work and install support mats or
blocking if work is required in an area of poor track
support.
Overhangs are hazardous. Digging under an overhang
is dangerous. Know the height and reach limits of the
excavator and plan ahead while working. Avoid creat-
ing dangerous situations caused by moving around the
work site while making excavations. Move to another
digging area before large overhangs are formed. Work-
ing around deep pits or along high-walls or trenches
may require support blocks, especially after heavy rain-
falls or during spring thaws. Park the excavator away
from overhangs.
Exposed hydraulic hoses could react with explosive
force if struck by falling or overhead items. NEVER
allow hoses to be hit, bent or interfered with during
operation. Extra guards may be required. Replace any
damaged hoses.
To avoid tipping, travel with the bucket or attachment
as low as possible: 8–12 inches (200–300 mm) from
the ground. In an emergency, lower the attachment
immediately to the ground to aid stopping the machine.
Sloping terrain requires caution. Dig evenly around the
work site whenever possible, trying to gradually level
any existing slope. If it is not possible to level the area
or avoid working on a slope, reduce the size and
cycling rate of the load.
On sloping surfaces, use caution when positioning the
excavator prior to starting a work cycle. Stay alert for
instability situations. For example, always avoid work-
ing the bucket over the downhill crawler tracks when
parked perpendicular to the slope. Slow all downhill
swing movements and avoid full extensions of the
bucket in a downhill direction. Lifting the bucket too
high, too close to the machine, while the excavator is
turned uphill can also be hazardous.
If the machine becomes unstable and starts to tip, keep
the seat belt fastened, hold on firmly and brace your-
self. Lean away from the point of impact and stay with
the machine. If tipping occurs, DO NOT jump from the
machine. The machine is equipped with rollover pro-
tection, which can only protect the operator while in
the operator’s seat. Trying to escape from a tipping
machine can result in death or serious personal injury.
Stay alert for people moving through the work area.
When loading a truck you should always know where
the driver is.
Avoid loading over the cab of a truck, even if the driver
is in a safe spot, because someone else could have gone
inside.
Slow down the work cycle and use slower travel speeds
in congested or populated areas. Use commonly under-
stood signals so that other members of the work crew
can warn the operator to slow or halt work in a poten-
tially hazardous situation.
Use a signal person if you can’t see the entire work
area clearly.
Use a spotter and hand signals to keep away from
power lines not clearly visible to the operator.
All personnel at the work site should be aware of
assigned individual responsibilities. Communication
and hand signals used should be understood by every-
one.
Terrain and soil conditions at the job site, approaching
traffic, weather-related hazards and any above-or
below-ground obstacles or hazards should be observed
and monitored by all work crew members.
Be aware that attachments affect the handling and bal-
ance of the machine. Adjust the operation of the
machine as necessary when using attachments.
Summary of Contents for 503Z
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