SAFETY PRECAUTIONS FOR OPERATION TRAVELING ON SLOPES To prevent the machine from tipping over or slipping to the side, always do as follows. G When traveling on slops, keep the blade approxmately 20 to 30cm (8 to 12in) above the ground. In case of emer- gency, quickly lower the blade to the ground to help the machine to stop. Apply the brake and use the engine as a brake, if necessary. G Always travel straight up or down a slope. Traveling at an angle or across the slope is extremely dangerous. G Do not turn on slopes or travel across slopes. Always go down to a flat place to change the position of the machine, then travel on to the slope again.
G Travel on grass, fallen leaves, or wet steel plates with low speed. Even with slight slopes there is a hazard that the machine may slip. G Do not shift the gear while traveling downhill or travel downhill with the transmission in neutral. If this is neglected, the engine does not work as a brake, and that is dangerous. Be sure to set the transmission in one of the lower gear speeds. In addition, apply the brake and use the engine as a brake, if necessary. G When turning on a downhill ground, lower the travel speed. G On a slope where the machine travels down by itself, take care of countersteering.
OPERATE CAREFULLY ON SNOW G Snow-covered or frozen surfaces are slippery, so be extremely careful when traveling or operating the machine, and do not operate the levers suddenly. Even a slight slope may cause the machine to slip, so be particularly careful when working on slopes. G With frozen ground surfaces, the ground becomes soft when the temperature rises, and this may cause the machine to tip over. G If the machine enters deep snow, there is a hazard that it may tip over or become buried in the snow. Be care- ful not to leave the road shoulder or to get trapped in a snow drift.
G When clearing snow, the road shoulder and objects placed beside the road are buried in the snow and cannot be seen. There is a hazard of the machine tipping over or hitting covered objects, so always carry out opera- tions carefully. G When traveling on snow-covered slopes, never apply the brakes suddenly. Reduce the speed and use the engine as a brake while appling the foot brake intermittently (depress the brake intermittently several times). If necessary, lower the blade to the ground to stop the machine. 2-21