COMPREHENSION OF PESTICIDE SAFETY INFORMATION - EFFECTS OF PICTORIAL AND TEXTUAL WARNINGS

This experiment was designed to test whether warning labels on agricul tural pesticide containers could be better understood by users ii pict ograms illustrating appropriate safety precautions were added to exist ing labels containing text only. Labels with added pictograms were per ceived by pesticide users as significantly easier to obtain informatio n from than labels containing text only. However, the effect of pictog rams in improving the effectiveness of the communication of safety inf ormation to users was incomplete. When pictograms were added to labels they were associated with a significant increase in the proportion of users nominating correct safety precautions for storing the pesticide s, but not for mixing or applying them. Addition of pictograms to labe ls did not significantly alter subjects' perceptions of the danger of the pesticide to the user. Although pictograms did enhance the accessi bility of safety information on the labels, some users found them to b e confusing. Pictogram systems need to be improved further a they are to have a more complete effect on improving the effectiveness of warni ngs.