Safety Section; Safety Information - McConnel PT6 Operations & Parts Manual

SAFETY
There are obvious and potential hazards in the operation of this mower. REMEMBER! This
machine may often be operated in brush of up to ½" (12mm) diameter. The blades of this
mower can propel objects for a great distance at very high speeds. Serious injury or even death
may occur unless care is taken to ensure the safety of the operator, bystanders or passersby in
the area.
Before attempting to operate this machine the owner and the operator should read, understand
and heed the following information. Serious injury or death may occur if the safety advice given
here is ignored. In addition to this safety advice, good 'common sense' will go a long way
towards avoiding hazardous situations and reduce the risk of danger.
Rotary mowers are capable under adverse conditions of throwing objects great
distances (100 yards or more) and causing serious injury or death.
STOP MOWING IF PASSERSBY ARE WITHIN 100 YARDS (91 metres) unless:
• Front and rear deflectors, chain guards or bands are fitted and are in good
workable condition.
• Mower sections or wings are running close to, and parallel to, the ground
without exposed blades.
• Passersby are outside the existing thrown-object zone.
• All areas have been thoroughly inspected and foreign materials such as rocks,
cans, glass and general 'risk' debris have been removed.
NOTE: Where grass and weeds are high enough to obscure debris that could be struck by the
blades, the area should be inspected and debris removed, mowed at an intermediate height,
and re-inspected closely to remove any remaining debris and mowed again at the desired final
height. (In addition to the safety aspect of this procedure it will also reduce wear and tear on the
mower drivetrain, spread cut materials better, eliminate 'streaking' and make the final cut more
uniform).
All guards, bands, deflectors, driveline shields and gearbox shields should be
used and maintained in good working condition at all times. They should be
carefully inspected daily for missing or broken cable, chain links, shields or
guards. Missing, broken or worn items must be replaced before attempting to use
the machine to reduce the possibility of injury from thrown objects or
entanglement.
Extreme care should be taken when operating near loose objects such as gravel,
rocks, wire and other debris. Foreign objects should be removed from the work
site or avoided to prevent machine damage and/or bodily injury or even death.
The rotating parts of this machine have been designed and tested for rugged use.
However, they could fail upon impact with heavy solid objects such as steel
guardrails and concrete abutments. Such impact could cause the broken objects
to be thrown outward at very high velocities. To reduce the possibility of property
damage, serious injuries, or even death, never allow the cutting blades to contact
such objects.
KEEP CLEAR
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