7. PRECAUTIONS DURING OPERATION WARNING: Failure to follow these safety precautions may lead to a serious accident. 1-13 TRAVELING ON SLOPES ‡ Traveling on slopes could result in the machine tipping over or slipping to the side. ‡ When traveling on slopes, keep the bucket approximately 20 – 30 cm (8 – 12 in) above the ground. In case of emergency, quickly lower the bucket to the ground to help the machine to stop. ‡ Do not turn on slopes or travel across slopes. Always go down to a flat place to perform these operations. ‡ Do not travel on grass, fallen leaves, or wet steel plates.
Even slight slopes may cause the machine to slip to the side, so travel at low speed and make sure that the machine is always traveling directly up or down the slope. ‡ When traveling downhill, never shift gear or place the transmission at neutral. It is dangerous not to use the braking force of the engine. Always place the transmission in a low gear before starting to travel downhill. ‡ When traveling downhill, use the braking force of the engine and travel slowly. If necessary, use the braking force of the engine together with the brake pedal to control the travel speed.
‡ If the engine stops when the machine is on a slope, immediately depress the brake pedal fully to apply the brakes, lower the bucket to the ground, then apply the parking brake to hold the machine in position. ‡ When traveling up or down hills with a loaded bucket, always travel with the bucket facing uphill (travel forward when going uphill and in reverse when going downhill). ‡ When traveling on a slope with a loaded bucket, if the machine travels with the bucket facing downhill, there is danger that the machine may tip over.
PROHIBITED OPERATIONS To prevent the machine from turning over or the work equipment from being damaged because of overload, always keep within the maximum load specified for the machine. Never use the machine in excess of its capacity.