As with any type of mechanical or industrial machine, when starting to use the snow blower make sure that all clutches are disengaged and the machine is in neutral before starting the engine. Bear in mind also that before you start using the snow blower you are likely to be outside in the conditions that generated the snow for a significant period of time and feel the effects as a result.
To that end make sure that you are wearing adequate winter garments and clothing, and especially that you are wearing substantial footwear which will both protect your feet from the cold but will also give you a degree of grip on your feet of surfaces that may well be very slippery or icy. This can be especially true when you are using the snow blower in conditions where the temperature is either freezing or well below freezing and there's a real danger of ice underneath the snow.
This means that even when you have cleared some of the snow you may have to deal with the legacy of ice underneath it, and it is important both for your own physical safety and the safety of the use of the machine that you are sure footed when doing so. A number of snow blowers will have a tethered safety switch which is designed to be attached to your clothing. It is extremely important that if this safety switch is fitted to the machine, and the owners manual advises you to attach it to your clothing, that you do so.
The alternative is that the machine may run loose, or that the operative of the machine may for some reason lose control of it and it could cause significant damage either to the operative or to people or the surrounding environment if it were to run away on its own.
It is important that you have enough fuel in the snow blower before you start using it. Before running or starting the engine check the fuel level. Do not do this once machine is running or you have started it, do it before you start the machine, and under no conditions fill it up once the machine is running.
Equally if you have been using the snow blower for a period of time let it cool down before checking the fuel level. You do not want to remove the fuel cap or to fill the fuel tank while the engine is still hot as a result of having been used for a period of time. Check the fuel at the very beginning before starting to use the machine at all, and if there is insufficient fuel or gasoline to run the snow blower fill it up prior to operation.
Although not technically a safety issue for snow blower itself, bearing mind gasoline is an extremely flammable fuel, and if you're going to keep it or storage on domestic premises make sure that it is done so in a safe and protected manner. If in any doubt as to how best to store it contact a responsible body such as the local fire department and ask advice about the best storage conditions for keeping gasoline in a home or garage environment.
To that end make sure that you are wearing adequate winter garments and clothing, and especially that you are wearing substantial footwear which will both protect your feet from the cold but will also give you a degree of grip on your feet of surfaces that may well be very slippery or icy. This can be especially true when you are using the snow blower in conditions where the temperature is either freezing or well below freezing and there's a real danger of ice underneath the snow.
This means that even when you have cleared some of the snow you may have to deal with the legacy of ice underneath it, and it is important both for your own physical safety and the safety of the use of the machine that you are sure footed when doing so. A number of snow blowers will have a tethered safety switch which is designed to be attached to your clothing. It is extremely important that if this safety switch is fitted to the machine, and the owners manual advises you to attach it to your clothing, that you do so.
The alternative is that the machine may run loose, or that the operative of the machine may for some reason lose control of it and it could cause significant damage either to the operative or to people or the surrounding environment if it were to run away on its own.
It is important that you have enough fuel in the snow blower before you start using it. Before running or starting the engine check the fuel level. Do not do this once machine is running or you have started it, do it before you start the machine, and under no conditions fill it up once the machine is running.
Equally if you have been using the snow blower for a period of time let it cool down before checking the fuel level. You do not want to remove the fuel cap or to fill the fuel tank while the engine is still hot as a result of having been used for a period of time. Check the fuel at the very beginning before starting to use the machine at all, and if there is insufficient fuel or gasoline to run the snow blower fill it up prior to operation.
Although not technically a safety issue for snow blower itself, bearing mind gasoline is an extremely flammable fuel, and if you're going to keep it or storage on domestic premises make sure that it is done so in a safe and protected manner. If in any doubt as to how best to store it contact a responsible body such as the local fire department and ask advice about the best storage conditions for keeping gasoline in a home or garage environment.
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