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Home » Consumer Information » Defective Products

Warning Labels

A warning label is a notice that is attached to a product or found in the accompanying instruction booklet that alerts the user about the potential dangers associated with normal usage of the item. Most warning labels are there to protect the manufacturer from lawsuits. As a result, some of these labels are quite amusing in that they declare what is apparent to anyone with common sense. However, if these labels did not state the obvious, it is foreseeable that a person who was harmed while using that particular product could take legal action against the manufacturer for product liability.

For instance, it is impossible that a functional hammer can be completely safe to use, especially when objects have the tendency to shatter when struck; pieces will fly and may end up hitting a person in the eye. Research has shown that people either misjudge the perilous nature of the act of hammering, or they are simply oblivious to the fact that the material being pounded is prone apt to shatter. Determining whether this danger is evident could be the subject of constant debate. However, hammers do not feature warning labels stating “Striking fingers with hammer may result in severe injury” because manufacturers assume this is common knowledge. Instead, you may find a label that reads “Safety goggles should be worn while striking objects with hammer” affixed to the hammer. Susceptibility to eye injury when using a hammer may seem obvious, but studies have proven otherwise. By utilizing a warning label, manufacturers are demonstrating a duty to protect consumers who need to be told what to watch out for.

American National Standards Institute rules and regulations

Over the years, a common problem with warning labels has been that the information they communicate is practically useless, thus causing people to overlook them. For example, the infamous warning label found on a Swedish-made chainsaw stated “Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands or genitals. These words of advice, if you want to call them that, fail to tell the user how to actually stop the chain.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the organization responsible for maintaining rules and regulations for safety symbols and product safety signs and labels, heavily amended these guidelines in 1998 and 2002. The revised standards endorse signs that are easier to read, offer a more detailed explanation, and illustrate the safety risks with pictures.

According to ANSI, a warning label should:

  • Inform the consumer what hazards exist.
  • Inform the consumer of the severity of the risk involved with the particular product.
  • Inform the consumer of the effects of the hazard.
  • Inform the consumer how to avoid the hazard.

A warning should be highly visible and positioned as close to the area of the hazard as possible. The label should be made with the life expectancy and the typical setting of the product in mind. For example, if it is an outdoor product, the material and print should be able to withstand UV light to prevent the label from fading or disintegrating due to prolonged exposure to the sun’s rays. In order to identify the level of severity of a hazard, ANSI has assigned three color-coded key words to alert the consumer:

  • DANGER (red) – an impending hazardous event that will end in serious injury or death.
  • WARNING (orange) – a potentially hazardous circumstance that may end in serious injury or death.
  • CAUTION (yellow) – a potentially hazardous condition that could end in moderate or slight injury.

One of these key words, along with the description of the hazard, is to be laid out on a square white background to enhance visibility. Underneath the key word, the section of the label dedicated to the description should be broken down into two panels, including a symbol or graphics section (e.g., red circle with a slash through a depiction of an act of carelessness) and a message section highlighting information pertinent to the hazard.