Warning labels are important because they protect customers while protecting businesses from liability. Failure to warn customers about the danger can lead to multi-million-dollar lawsuits.
Why Warning Labels Are Important
Employees need warning labels as well to keep safe while performing their duties. Having an identifiable and legible warning label protects people from getting hurt. You also want to check that your warning label complies with ISO and OSHA standards. Sometimes, you may have to put a warning label in English, and the consumers speak the language your product is marketed to.
What Happens When the Warning Label Isn’t Effective
Sometimes, the warning label doesn’t provide enough protection. Customers still get injured because they ignore it. In such cases, they will change the product or the packaging to protect customers. This is especially important, as seen here; the product type is clearly outlined on the storage solution used so that customers or employees understand the hazard they are dealing with. The warning labels are clear and immediately tell one what risks are involved with this item.
For example, soup companies had problems with children burning themselves on soup containers. The burns were severe in some cases, but the warning labels weren’t helping. This prompted soup companies to redesign their packaging to make soup less prone to tipping over.
Inadequate Warning: The Basis for Liability
Improper warnings on a product could serve as the basis for a lawsuit. Addressing company packaging issues and adding a suitable warning label will create a heat shield if someone gets injured using your product. They wouldn’t have grounds to file a lawsuit if they had more than an adequate warning.
Purchased products malfunctioning becomes a situation where people have the legal grounds to file a lawsuit, mostly when the company fails to give adequate warning.
Companies Have a Responsibility to Warn Customers
The courts consider the company’s legal responsibility to warn customers about their products. If a product isn’t supposed to be used a certain way, it should have a warning label. Don’t let your company get financially tanked because of a lawsuit you could have prevented.
It’s important to note that you have to place the warning label in an area where the customer can easily see it. If a warning label is improperly placed, it could open your company up to lawsuits.
The Standards of Your Industry
Warning labels have different standards, depending on the industry. Some industries will have specific standards that you have to follow. For example, the candle manufacturing industry requires you to have a warning label and educate customers on properly burning a candle.
It may sound overkill, but certain industries require specific things. Check the rules of your industry to ensure you don’t have to make special instructions.
Each Label Needs Its Own Set of Colors and Symbols
The danger each product potentially poses will vary, so you want each label to have a custom label with links. Sometimes, you have to plan for extreme exposure to the sun or laminate the warning label. This depends on several factors. Labels may not work every time, but you protect yourself from liability.
Warning labels can protect your customers from harm and save a life in some cases. That is what makes them so important. Warning labels can also protect you from dangers you may not have considered. Some people ignore warning labels, but from a legal standpoint, you can only do so much. If someone gets hurt using your product after ignoring the warning label, it’s not your fault.