SAFETY Investigate Job Site Beforehand When working at the edge of an excavation or on a road shoulder, the machine could tip over due to collapse of the ground, possibly resulting in serious injury or death. Investigate the configuration and ground conditions of the job site beforehand to prevent the machine from falling and to prevent the ground, stockpiles, or banks from collapsing. Make a work plan. Use machines appropriate to the work and job site. Reinforce ground, edges, and road shoulders as necessary. Keep the machine well back from the edges of excavations and road shoulders. When working on an incline or on a road shoulder, employ a signal person as required.
Never allow bystanders to enter the working area such as swing radius or traveling range. When the footing is weak, reinforce the ground before starting work. When working on frozen ground, be extremely alert. As ambient temperatures rise, footing may become loose and slippery. When operating the machine near open flame, sparks, and/or dead grass, a fire may easily break out. Use special care not to cause a fire. Make sure the work site ground has sufficient strength to firmly support the machine.
When working close to an excavation or on road shoulders, operate the machine with the tracks positioned perpendicular to the cliff face with travel motors at the rear and with the blade at the front, so that the machine can more easily evacuate if the cliff face collapses. If working at the bottom of a cliff or on a high bank is required, be sure to investigate the area first and confirm that no danger of the cliff or bank collapsing exists. If any possibility of cliff or bank collapsing exists, do not work in that area. Soft ground may collapse when operating the machine on it, possibly causing the machine to tip over.
When working on soft ground is required, be sure to reinforce the ground first using large pieces of steel plates strong enough and firm to easily support the machine. Note that there is always a possibility of machine tipping over when working on rough terrain or on slopes. Prevent machine tipping over from occurring. Operate the machine slowly to ensure safe operation. SA-1293 M586-05-021 S-9