Warnings: a supplement not a substitute for other approaches to safety

Abstract

Warnings in the workplace are analysed from the global perspective that they are not a substitute for, but rather a supplement to, good product design, employee selection, training, job design, supervision, and the provision of other forms of safety information including written procedures and checklists. An explanation is given for when and why these latter approaches will be more effective for reducing both errors and violations. Situations where warnings will be useful and further areas of research are also discussed.

Keywords:

• Warnings
• Product design
• Intervention strategies.