Poulan 1994-01 User Manual - Page 16

A.

BLADE

SAFETY

1.

OPERATOR

SAFETY

a.

Always

wear

eye

protection

when

operating,

servicing,

or

performing

maintenance

on

your

unit.

See

"Safety

Accessories."

b.

Always

wear

heavy,

long

pants,

long

sleeves,

boots,

and

gloves.

Do

not

go

barefoot

or

wear

sandals,

jewelry,

short

pants,

short

sleeves,

loose

clothing,

or

clothing

with

loosely

hang-

ing

straps,

ties,

tassels,

etc.;

they

can

be

caught

in

moving

parts.

Secure

hair

so

it

is

above

shoulder

length.

Being

fully

covered

will

help

protect

you

from

pieces

of

toxic

plants

such

as

poison

ivy

thrown

by

the

blade,

which

could

be

more

of

a

hazard

than

touching

the

plant

itself

Do

not

operate

this

unit

when

you

are

tired,

ill,

or

under

the

influence

of

alcohol,

drugs,

or

medication.

d.

Always

use

the

handlebar

and

a

properly

ad-

justed

shoulder

strap.

See

"Assembly."

e.

Do

not

swing

the

unit

with

such

force

that

you

are

in

danger

of

losing

your

balance.

f.

Never

start

or

run

the

engine

inside

a

closed

room

or

building.

Breathing

exhaust

fumes

can

kill.

g.

Keep

handles

free

of

oil

and

fuel.

2.

UNIT

SAFETY

a.

Inspect

the

entire

unit

before

each

use.

Re-

place

damaged

parts.

Check

for

fuel

leaks

and

maim

sure

all

handles,

guards,

and

fasteners

are

in

place

and

securely

fastened.

b.

Be

sure

the

metal

shield

is

properly

attached.

The

metal

shield

must

be

installed

for

all

blade

usage.

c.

Make

sure

the

blade

is

properly

installed

and

securely

fastened.

Refer

to

"Assembly"

d.

Be

sure

the

blade

stops

turning

when

the

en-

gine

idles.

See

"Trouble

Shooting

Chart."

e.

Make

carburetor

adjustments

with

the

drive

shaft

housing

supported

to

prevent

the

blade

from

contacting

any

object.

Hold

unit

by

hand;

do

not

use

the

shoulder

strap

for

support.

f.

Keep

others

away

when

rifting

carburetor

ad-

justments.

g.

Have

all

maintenance

and

service

not

ex-

plained

in

this

manual

performed

by

an

Autho-

rized

Service

Dealer.

3.

CUTTING

SAFETY

a

Inspect

the

area

to

be

cut

before

each

use.

Re-

move

objects

(rocks,

broken

glass,

nails,

wire,

string,

etc.)

which

can

be

thrown

or

become

en-

tangled

in

the

blade.

b.

Always

keep

the

engine

on

the

right

side

of

your

body.

Hold

the

unit

fi

rmly

with

both

hands.

c.

Keep

firm

footing

and

balance.

Do

not

over—

reach.

d.

Keep

blade

below

waist

level.

e.

Do

not

raise

the

engine

a

ove

your

west

The

b

can

come

dangerously

close

to

your

body.

f.

Cut

at

full

throttle.

g.

Cut

from

your

right

to

your

left.

h.

Use

only

for

jobs

explained

in

this

manual.

Do

not

use

the

blade

as

an

edger:The

shield

does

not

provide

adequate

protection.

B.

GUARD

AGAINST

BLADE

THRUST

•

BI

mit

Thrust

is

a

reaction

that

only

occurs

when

using

a

bladed

unit.

This

reaction

can

cause

seri-

ous

injury

such

as

amputation.

Carefully

study

this

section.

It

is

important

that

you

understand

what

causes

blade

thrust,

how

you

can

reduce

the

chance

of

its

occurring,

and

how

you

can

remain

in

control

of

the

unit

if

blade

thrust

occurs.

•

The

forward

tip

on

the

shield

helps

to

reduce

the

occurrence

of

blade

thrust

but

cannot

prevent

the

occurrence.

The

operator

must

follow

all

warn-

ings

and

safety

instructions

in

this

section

to

lessen

the

chance

of

blade

thrust

occurring

and

to

maintain

control

of

unit

if

the

reaction

does

occur.

1.

WHAT

CAUSES

BLADE

THRUST

Blade

Thrust

can

occur

when

the

spinning

blade

con-

tacts

an

object

that

it

does

not

cut.

This

contact

causes

the

blade

to

stop

for

an

instant

and

then

suddenly

move

or

"thrust"

away

from

the

object

that

was

hit.

The

"thrusting"

reaction

can

be

vio-

lent

enough

to

cause

the

operator

to

be

propelled

in

any

direction

and

lose

control

of

the

unit.

The

uncontrolled

unit

can

cause

serious

injury

if

the

blade'contacts

the

operator

or

others.

Figure

21

.

2.

WHEN

BLADE

THRUST

OCCURS.

Blade

thrust

can

occur

without

warning

if

the

blade

snags,

stalls,

or

binds.

This

is

more

likely

to

occur

in

areas

where

it

is

difficult

to

see

the

material

be-

ing

cut.

By

using

the

unit

properly,

the

occurrence

of

blade

thrust

will

be

reduced

and

the

operator

will

be

less

likely

to

lose

control.

—

16

BLADE

THRUST

Figure

21

3.

REDUCE

THE

CHANCE

OF

BLADE

THRUST

a.

Cut

only

grass,

weeds,

and

woody

brush

up

to

2

inches

in

diameter

with

the

brush

blade.

Do

not

let

the

blade

contact

material

it

cannot

cut

such

as

stumps,

rocks,

fences,

metal,

etc.,

or

clusters

of

hard,

woody

brush

having

a

diameter

greater

than

2

inches.

b.

Keep

the

blade

sharp.

A

dull

blade

is

more

likely

to

snag,

and

thrust.

c.

Cut

only

at

full

throttle.

The

blade

has

maximum

cutting

power

at

full

throttle

and

is

less

likely

to

bind

or

stall.

cl.

"Feed"

the

blade

deliberately

and

not

too

rapidly

The

blade

can

thrust

away

if

it

is

fed

too

rapidly

e.

Cut

only

from

your

right

to

your

left.

Swinging

the

unit

in

the

same

direction

as

the

blade

spins

increases

the

cutting

action.

Poulan 1994-01 User Manual - Page 16

Blade, Safety, Guard, Against, Thrust

Page 16 highlights