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I agree with Jane, and I *have* worked in a factory. One dreadful summer, I
was a welder's assistant, and I worked a metal-forming punch press, among
other things, where terminal boredom could cause the loss of fingers, or
worse.
I would use at least a short (and maybe graphic) form of the warning
wherever it's warranted in the procedure, even at the cost of repetitions.
You could, for example, show an icon of an adnrogynous head with an open
mouth with the word "Clear" coming out of it. Here's why:
* If it saves one worker from injury, it's worth it.
* One nasty lawsuit can ruin your whole day.
* By introducing the warnings, you've set up an expectation that you will
tell the workers *whenever* they need to perform certain safety procedures.
Omitting the warnings in place, even if you've said something about them at
the top of the procedure, can open your company up to litigation. I don't
have the case law at hand, but I recall that this happened in the 80s. Both
the company and the writer were sued. I believe there was a settlement
reached, but unless your own liability insurance is a lot higher than mine
is, I'd recommend including the warnings and repetitions.
* It would be well to inquire about the English literacy level of the
workers using this equipment. IME, factory workers in the U.S. do not
generally read well. This is not a slam on that population. They are often
very clever people. But it's once again a case of "Know your audience."
* Bottom line, as Jane and others have suggested, is usability testing,
preferably with you AND the engineer who's questioning the repetitions as
silent/invisible observers.
Just my morning's dissertation.
Marguerite
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