A Practical Guide to Writing Product Safety Warnings
The warnings that appear on products, packaging and in manuals.
Dana Whitfield
The key figures
- Signal words
- danger, warning and caution indicate severity levels
- Structure
- effective warnings state the hazard, consequence and avoidance
- Placement
- warnings must be where the hazard occurs
- Symbols
- standardized symbols support comprehension
Why this is worth getting right
Warnings follow recognized conventions, and poorly written ones fail both users and the business.
Do this, not that
Do
- Use signal words consistently by severity
- State the hazard, the consequence and how to avoid it
- Place warnings near the point of risk
- Pair text with recognized symbols
- Test comprehension with real users
Don’t
- Generic warnings with no specific hazard
- Warnings buried in manuals only
- Inconsistent signal word use
- Legal disclaimers dressed up as warnings
When to bring in help
Our advice Bring in help when products carry real hazards.
Where this comes from
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission — Business guidance
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration — Hazard Communication
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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