OPTIONAL PARTS AND ATTACHMENTS

27. General Precautions

27-1. Safety precautions

The mounting of unauthorized attachments and optional parts may cause accidents as well as shorten the machine life.

If you need to mount any attachments other than those described in this manual, contact your dealer. If you fail to do so, the installation and use of unauthorized attachments and parts may void your Warranty.

Precautions for mounting and dismounting an attachment

When mounting or dismounting an attachment, observe the following precautions for safety.

•When mounting or dismounting a heavy implement or attachment, place the machine on level, solid ground.

•When you work together with a partner, define hand signals and communicate in accordance with those signals.

•When moving a heavy load [more than 55.1 lbs. (25 kg)], use a crane.

•When removing a heavy part, be sure to support it adequately. When lifting such a part with a crane, be aware of its center of gravity.

•Do not mount or dismount a heavy part while suspending it with a crane. Be sure to support it securely on a stable base.

•Securely support any attachment that has been removed or is to be installed, and take adequate precautions not to let it fall down.

•Never stand directly under a load suspended by a crane. Stand far enough away to be safe if the load should fall.

Important

Comply with all licensing requirements before operating a crane. Do not permit an unauthorized person to operate a crane. For more information about the procedures for mounting and dismounting attachments, ask your dealer.

27-2. Precautions for mounting an attachment (implement)

A long implement may throw a machine off balance, and may cause the machine to roll over when the machine descends or swings on a slope.

The following operations are especially dangerous, and must never be done.

•Descending a slope with the implement raised

•Traversing across a slope•Swinging on a slope

•If you mount an unusually heavy implement (attachment) on the machine, the inertia of the upperstructure will increase so that the upperstructure will continue to turn over a longer distance after it has been deactivated. This can mislead the operator about the safe distance between the swinging implement and an object nearby and could cause the implement to bump against the object. To avoid this type of accident, deactivate the upperstructure a little earlier than usual. Because of increased inertia, the implement will also drop a greater distance after it has been stopped in mid-air. (The unintentional drifting of the implement will be greater).

•Be sure that the boom and the arm have been mounted correctly. Otherwise, serious accidents or damage may occur. If you do not know how to mount the boom or the arm correctly, ask your dealer.

•If you mount a long implement, you may misjudge the distance between the implement and a nearby object, and cause the implement to bump against the object. Be sure to provide adequate clearance between long implements and nearby objects.