WARNINGS - A SUPPLEMENT NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR OTHER APPROACHES TO SAFETY

Warnings in the workplace are analysed from the global perspective tha t they are not a substitute for, but rather a supplement to, good prod uct 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 th ese latter approaches will be more effective for reducing both errors and violations. Situations where warnings will be useful and further a reas of research are also discussed.