•
Be sure all drives are in neutral and parking brake
is engaged before starting engine.
•
Start the engine carefully according to instructions
with feet well away from the blades.
•
Never operate the mower with damaged guards,
shields, or covers. Always have safety shields,
guards, switches and other devices in place and in
proper working condition.
•
Keep clear of the discharge opening at all times.
Never mow with the discharge door raised,
removed or altered unless there is a grass
collection system or mulch kit in place and working
properly.
•
Keep hands and feet away from moving parts.
If possible, Do Not make adjustments with the
engine running.
WARNING
Hands, feet, hair, clothing, or accessories
can become entangled in rotating parts.
Contact with the rotating parts can
cause traumatic amputation or severe
lacerations.
– Do Not operate the machine without
guards, shields, and safety devices in
place and working properly.
– Keep hands, feet, hair, jewelry, or
clothing away from rotating parts.
•
Never raise the deck with blades running.
•
Be aware of the mower discharge path and direct
discharge away from others. Avoid discharging
material against a wall or obstruction as the
material may ricochet back toward the operator.
Stop the blades, slow down, and use caution when
crossing surfaces other than grass and when
transporting the mower to and from the area to be
mowed.
•
Be alert, slow down and use caution when
making turns. Look behind and to the side before
changing directions. Do Not mow in reverse
unless absolutely necessary.
•
Do Not change the engine governor setting or
overspeed the engine.
•
Park the machine on level ground. Stop engine,
wait for all moving parts to stop, and remove the
spark plug wire(s).
– Before checking, cleaning or working on the
mower.
– After striking a foreign object or abnormal
vibration occurs (inspect the mower for
damage and make repairs before restarting
and operating the mower).
– Before clearing blockages.
– Whenever you leave the mower. Do Not leave
a running machine unattended.
•
Stop engine, wait for all moving parts to stop:
– Before refueling.
– Before dumping the grass catcher.
– Before making height adjustments.
•
Tragic accidents can occur if the operator is not
alert to the presence of children. Children are
often attracted to the machine and the mowing
activity. Never assume that children will remain
where you last saw them.
– Keep children out of the mowing area and
under the watchful care of another responsible
adult, not the operator.
– Be alert and turn the machine off if children
enter the area.
– Before and while backing or changing direction,
look behind, down, and side-to-side for small
children.
– Never allow children to operate the machine.
– Do Not carry children, even with the blades
shut off. Children could fall off and be seriously
injured or interfere with the safe operation of
the machine. Children that have been given
rides in the past could suddenly appear in the
working area for another ride and be run over
or backed over by the machine.
Slope Safety
•
Slopes are a major factor related to loss of control
and rollover accidents, which can result in severe
injury or death. The operator is responsible for
safe slope operation. Operating the machine on
any slope requires extra caution. Before using the
machine on a slope, the operator must:
– Review and understand the slope instructions
in the manual and on the machine.
– Use an angle indicator to determine the
approximate slope angle of the area.
– Never operate on slopes greater than 15
degrees.
– Evaluate the site conditions of the day to
determine if the slope is safe for machine
operation. Use common sense and good
judgment when performing this evaluation.
Changes in the terrain, such as moisture, can
quickly affect the operation of the machine on
a slope.
•
Identify hazards at the base of the slope. Do
Not operate the machine near drop offs, ditches,
embankments, water or other hazards. The
machine could suddenly roll over if a wheel goes
over the edge or the edge collapses. Keep a safe
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