Eagle Green Safety Can

This Eagle safety can is a metal container in green, the color many crews use to mark oil or other combustibles so nobody pours the wrong thing into a saw. It is a solid upgrade from a plastic jug rolling around the truck bed.

Why use a metal safety can

Plastic jugs are cheap, but they crack, leak and swell in the sun. A metal Eagle safety can has a spring-loaded lid that closes on its own and vents pressure, so it does not puff up on a hot afternoon. It also stands up to being bumped around a truck box all season.

On a tree crew, fluids get handled all day: topping off saws, refilling bar oil and fueling the chipper. Having proper cans for each fluid keeps the truck cleaner and cuts down on mix-ups.

Eagle has been making safety cans for a long time, and their cans are a common sight in tree service shops, municipal yards and fleet garages. Parts such as lids and gaskets are widely available, which helps a can last for years.

A good can also makes refueling faster. A wide, steady pour from a can with a proper spout means less oil down the side of the saw and on the ground, and less time spent wiping up before you get back to work.

Color coding your fuel kit

Colors on safety cans are a convention, not a law of nature, but most shops follow something close to this: red for gasoline, yellow for diesel, blue for kerosene and green for oil or other combustibles. Pick a system, label every can and stick to it. Pouring diesel or bar oil into a saw tank costs a lot more than a can.

Many crews keep a green can for bar and chain oil and a red can for mixed fuel. For premix, see Husqvarna 2-stroke premix fuel.

Write the contents on the can in large letters as well. Colors fade, and new crew members do not always know your system. A simple paint-pen label that says BAR OIL or MIX 50:1 heads off mistakes on a busy morning.

Using and storing it

Keep the can upright and secured in the truck so it cannot tip or slide. Fill it outdoors, away from running engines and sparks, and do not overfill: leave room for expansion. Check the label for the rated contents and any listings, and use the can only for what it is marked for.

Inspect the lid gasket and spring now and then. If the lid no longer snaps shut or the gasket is cracked, replace the part or the can. Store full cans out of direct sun when the truck is parked.

Plan where the cans ride. A rack or a strap point in the truck bed or utility body keeps them upright and away from the chipper exhaust and hot saws. Keep spill rags and a small absorbent kit nearby so a drip at the fill point does not become a mess in the truck box.

Remember that fuel and oil vapors are the real hazard. Never fill cans in an enclosed trailer, never smoke around them, and ground metal cans when filling from a larger tank if your shop procedure calls for it.