Personal Equipment

Safety (continued)

PROTECTIVE SAFETY EQUIPMENT

Ear Protection- Wear ear pro- tection that offers a sufficient dampening effect. Remove your hearing protection as soon as you stop the engine, in order to hear any noises or warning sig- nals.

Eye Protection- Wear safety glasses or goggles that are marked as meeting ANSI Z87.1-1989 standards to pro- tect from blows to the eyes from branches or flying objects.

Boots- Wear anti-slip and sta- ble boots.

Clothing- Wear clothes made of strong fabrics. Avoid loose clothing that could catch on shrubs and branches. Wear heavy long pants and do not wear jewelry, shorts, sandals or go barefoot. Secure hair above shoulder length.

First Aid Kit- Always have a first aid kit present.

Breathing Protection- Wear a dust mask if you are working in dusty conditions.

Never use a unit that has defective safety equipment. Maintain the safety equipment as described. If the safety equipment and/or the unit is defective or fails your control tests, contact your local service workshop.

The Unit’s Protective Safety Equipment

Stop Switch- Use the stop switch to stop the engine. To service and test the stop switch, start the engine and make sure that the engine halts when you move the stop switch to the off position.

Vibration Damping System- This is designed to make usage as vibration-free and comfort- able as possible. The vibration damping system reduces the transfer of vibrations. Check the system often for cracks and distortion, and make sure it is securely attached.

Muffler- The muffler reduces noise levels and directs the engine’s exhaust fumes away from the operator. Never use a unit that has a defective muffler and check to see that the muf- fler is secure. Clean the muf- fler’s spark arrestor screen reg- ularly. Never use a muffler that has a defective spark arrestor screen. Refer to the Muffler section in the Maintenance chapter for more information.

Safety Harness- A well-adjust- ed harness considerably simpli- fies your work. Adjust the har- ness to provide you with the most efficient stance. Adjust the side straps to equally dis- tribute the weight of the unit across both of your shoulders.

Never use the unit without the safety harness in tact. Failure to use the harness will make the unit less safe and increase the risk of injury to yourself or others. Never use a harness that has a faulty quick release.