rubs off and you get a spark when
it contacts metal.
Tires. The rubber used in today's
heavy equipment tires is not a
source of ignition, but, tire vendors
have told us that poor maintenance
and tire changing practices some-
times leave small shards of metal in-
side of a tire. If the air inside the tire
becomes overheated due to under
inflation, too much load or too much
speed it can cause these small bits
of metal to catch fire and in turn
the burning metal can start the rub-
ber burning. And once a tire starts
to burn, it is almost impossible to
extinguish. It has to burn itself out
and in most cases it's going to take
the rest of the machine with it.
Batteries. Although vehicle bat-
teries are not often the source of
ignition in fires, they should not be
ignored by technicians, either. A
high resistance situation that causes
overcurrent could cause the insula-
tion on wires to burn, says Olson.
Batteries are more of an issue when
you are storing or charging them in
the shop, says Smyth. "Anytime you
are charging or storing batteries you
should consult the codes and direc-
tions," she says.
Hot work. Grinding, welding,
brazing, soldering, any work or
tool that generates sparks or heat,
should be kept well away from
EquipmentWorld.com | March 2015
45
Welding, grinding and hot work should always be done well away
from any potential source of fuel.
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