Glossary · Safety information
Warning message
Also known as: safety message, warning notice, safety alert
In safety documentation, a warning message is a structured safety communication identifying a hazard, its consequence, the action to avoid it and the relevant context, usually introduced by a signal word and a safety symbol that indicate the severity.
- Technical documentation
- Standards
In one sentence
A warning message is a structured safety communication stating hazard, consequence and avoidance, with a signal word showing severity.
Example
“WARNING — Rotating spindle. Contact can cause severe hand injuries. Wait until the spindle has stopped completely before opening the door.” placed before the tool-change step of a CNC manual.
Explained in context
Context cards connect this term with others to answer one question. Also in British English and German.
- Cognitive psychology in technical communication: theory, application and the bridges between themTransitional topicWhat is the difference between cognitive psychology as theory and its application in documentation, and how do the two fit together?UKDeutsch
- Attention and warning placement: from selective attention and habituation to where warnings goTransitional topicWhat does research on attention and warnings say about where and how warnings should be placed in instructions?UKDeutsch
- Documenting foreseeable misuse without making it an optionHow do instructions describe reasonably foreseeable misuse without presenting it as a way to use the product?UKDeutsch
- Where a warning belongs: safety chapter or before the taskShould a warning go into the safety chapter or directly before the step it concerns?UKDeutsch
How it applies
- Structure: A common structure is signal word, type and source of hazard, consequence, and avoidance measures. Signal words such as DANGER, WARNING and CAUTION express the severity and likelihood of harm; NOTICE is used for property damage, not for personal injury.
- Placement: Place task-specific warnings immediately before the step where the hazard arises. A safety chapter alone is not enough.
- Technical documentation: Maintain approved warnings once and reuse them. DITA hazard statements model exactly this structure, which makes warnings consistent, translatable and traceable to the risk assessment.
- AI and retrieval: Keep warnings bound to their task when content is chunked, and never let a generated answer drop or paraphrase the avoidance action.
Warning message vs. safety sign
A safety sign is mainly graphical and sits on the machine or in the workplace. A warning message is textual and sits in the documentation, the HMI or a label with text. Both address residual risk; neither replaces a safeguard.