41
give them a clear idea of the risk, which is likely to increase compliance. Hazard alert
research has shown that this element has a significant effect on readers. If the
consequences are not included, the alert is likely to be less effective.
The signal word should appear first. The order provided here for the other three elements
(hazard avoidance, hazard identification, and consequences) will be appropriate for most
instances, but may be altered as necessary to best communicate the information to the reader.
How is an effective warning or precaution formatted?
No magic formula works in every instance. The writer must apply the principles discussed here
for writing effective warnings and precautions as appropriate to the user and the device.
We suggest that you present warnings and precautions in “clusters” of issues that provide the
reader with the information in the most logical and usable order for the particular device. For
instance, a surgical device may have the warnings and precautions grouped, or clustered, into
Preoperative Information, Intraoperative Information, and Postoperative Information, with
appropriately highlighted headers. A home use device may have warnings and precautions
grouped according to Setup, Calibration, Use, Storage, and Disposal. There are many possible
groupings of this important hazard avoidance information, including the use of a “Before You
Start” subsection for devices deemed to need a select and very limited group of warnings and
precautions to be read before the device is handled at all. Within each cluster, we encourage
you to prioritize the information by clinical significance. If there are no logical clusters or
groupings of the hazard information, arrange warnings and precautions in order of clinical
significance.
Warnings and precautions should be as concise and focused as possible while providing
sufficient information. We recommend using bullets, rather than full sentences. Each bullet
should contain a single item. We recommend against grouping a number of warnings or
precautions in paragraph form. Users are more likely to read and comply with warnings or
precautions presented in outline form using plenty of white space and consistent indentations,
rather than paragraphs.
Additional approaches that can assist readers to notice, understand, and comply with warnings
and precautions include:
• Integrating warnings and precautions into the task/hazard-related context. This increases
the chance that the reader will encounter the information when he is most receptive to it.
• Using concrete rather than abstract terms and jargon. Frank language makes the writing
more interesting and therefore more likely to be remembered. For example, say “Contact
with this product will produce severe burns” rather than “Contact with this product will
result in serious injury.”
• Using the simplest possible construction.