SECTION 00 -- GENERAL INFORMATION -- CHAPTER 1
00-11
ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Soil, air, and water are vital factors of agriculture and
life in general. When legislation does not yet rule the
treatment of some of the substances which are
required by advanced technology, common sense
should govern the use and disposal of products of a
chemical and petrochemical nature.
The following are recommendations which may be of
assistance:
•
Become acquainted with and ensure that you
understand the relative legislation applicable to
your country.
•
Where no legislation exists, obtain information
from suppliers of oils, filters, batteries, fuels,
antifreeze, cleaning agents, etc., with regard to
their effect on man and nature and how to safely
store, use and dispose of these substances.
Agricultural consultants will, in many cases, be
able to help you as well.
HELPFUL HINTS
1. Avoid filling tanks using cans or inappropriate
pressurized fuel delivery systems which may
cause considerable spillage.
2. In general, avoid skin contact with all fuels, oils,
acids, solvents, etc. Most of them contain
substances which may be harmful to your health.
3. Modern oils contain additives. Do not burn
contaminated fuels and or waste oils in ordinary
heating systems.
4. Avoid spillage when draining off used engine
coolant mixtures, engine, gearbox and hydraulic
oils, brake fluids, etc. Do not mix drained brake
fluids or fuels with lubricants. Store them safely
until they can be disposed of in a proper way to
comply with local legislation and available
resources.
5. Modern coolant mixtures, i.e. antifreeze and
other additives, should be replaced every two
years. They should not be allowed to get into the
soil but should be collected and disposed of
safely.
6. Do not open the air-conditioning system yourself.
It contains gases which should not be released
into the atmosphere. Your dealer or air
conditioning specialist has a special extractor for
this purpose and will have to recharge the system
properly.
7. Repair any leaks or defects in the engine cooling
or hydraulic system immediately.
8. Do not increase the pressure in a pressurized
circuit as this may lead to a component failure.
9. Protect hoses during welding as penetrating
weld splatter may burn a hole or weaken them,
allowing the loss of oils, coolant, etc.
