File 08: Labelling, warnings and instructions
Labels, warnings and instructions that users can find, read and act on, in the languages and places the rule requires.
The file guide
Working guides in this file
08Age warnings and age grading that reflect how children really play Age grading a block set should reflect the youngest child likely to play with it, including siblings and gift recipients, and age warnings should state, in plain words, why a set is not suitable for younger children who mouth small parts. 08Assembly and installation instructions that prevent a wrong build Shelving assembly instructions that prevent a wrong build should be tested by building the unit, in order, with the parts as supplied, and should call out the step most often skipped, such as fitting the back panel. 08Batch and serial labels that let one faulty run be found Batch labels for ceramic bowls should let the studio find every bowl from one firing, and serial labels should let it find a single bowl, so a glaze fault in one firing does not require recalling every bowl ever made. 08Battery and charging warnings that match how people really charge things Torch charging warnings should cover the charger, the surface, the time, and the signs of trouble, because people charge torches overnight, on soft surfaces, and with chargers that were not supplied with the torch. 08Fixing a wrong or missing label before more stock goes out Fixing a wrong candle tin label means stopping further shipments, finding every tin already sent, correcting the label, and recording what went wrong, so the same error does not recur. 08Instructions for use written to prevent the harm, not just describe the product Grinder instructions that reduce risk should teach a user to feed beans slowly, clear a jam safely, and clean the grinder without forcing it, in the order those actions actually occur. 08Labelling a product that is sold loose, unwrapped or unpacked A loose wooden spoon sold without packaging still needs identification, care, and safety information, carried on the spoon itself, on a tag, or on a card at the stall, where a buyer can see it before buying. 08Labelling a product whose parts come from different places A lamp with a separate shade and base needs labels that match the pair: which shade fits which base, how close the shade sits to the bulb, and what happens if a buyer mixes shades and bases. 08Labelling a set so the set and its parts can both be identified Labelling a gardening tool set means labelling the outer set, so a buyer knows what the set contains, and labelling each tool, so a loose trowel with a loosening handle can be traced back to its set. 08Labelling in more than one language without losing the warning Labelling a travel kettle in several languages means translating warnings, not only marketing text, checking each translation with a reader of that language, and keeping warnings equally prominent in every version. 08Language requirements in practice, from choosing languages to checking the result Language requirements in practice for a picnic table mean deciding, for each market, which languages buyers need, translating safety information fully, and checking that the translated table instructions still prevent collapse under a heavy load. 08Manuals for connected products that cover the app as well as the device A thermostat manual that covers only the device will fail users when the app loses a schedule, the device loses power, or the two disagree, so the manual must explain device, app, and their interaction together. 08Safety information on websites and QR codes that still works when the pack is gone Safety information for a hose reel on a website and QR code should be findable without the pack, kept current, and written for a user standing in a garden with a phone, not for a reader at a desk. 08Safety information that belongs in manuals and declarations, and where it sits Safety information for a heater belongs early in its manual, where a user will see it before first use, and behind each declaration statement, where a reader can check it, not buried after marketing copy. 08Symbols and pictograms that say something useful at a glance Symbols on a cleaning spray bottle should warn at a glance, for example about eye irritation in a small room, but they work best beside short words, because a symbol alone can be read in several ways. 08Warnings placed and worded so a busy user still notices them A toaster warning that a busy user notices is placed where eyes go, worded as an action, and sized for a quick glance, not buried in small type on a back panel that no one reads while making breakfast. 08What the general product safety regulation asks labels to carry Under the general product safety regulation, a spray bottle label should, in general terms, identify the product and its maker, carry safety information a buyer can act on, and stay readable and accessible where the buyer needs it. 08Why a listing label and a pack label do different jobs An online listing for a herb planter must help a buyer choose before buying, while a pack label must help the same buyer use the planter safely after delivery, and copying one into the other serves neither job well.