RE: Warnings

Subject: RE: Warnings
From: JB Foster <jb -dot- foster -at- shaw -dot- ca>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Fri, 01 Nov 2002 10:06:13 -0700


Actually, it's the educated class I'm worried about (now includes most North
Americans). They are able to reason new and clever uses (or situations) for
a product, that the engineers (in horror) never thought of. Problem is, they
(the educated class) see no written warning of their folly, and decide that
it must be a sound use for the product ... or else there would have been a
warning against it.

When I write a manual or service bulletin, I have to think of what stupid
actions may be done by following 'slightly' outside of my instructions. I
often learn where the warnings should go by using a mixture of - common
sense, past dumb experiences, years of knowledge, and what the highly
skilled people on the floor did. That's why, if I saw a warning on a
Dremel - to not use it as a dental instrument. I wouldn't be laughing, since
it is a very real possibility someone will see it as a low-cost alternative
for their practice (once they make it hygienic by wrapping Saran-wrap over
it).

Bruce


bryan johnson wrote:

> Not to sound elitist, but I think we need to remember that the
> vast majority of the world's population operates at a less than
> fourth grade education level. The warnings that were posted on
> this site were not written for you, or your friends, or
> co-workers (the educated working class). They were written for
> the uneducated masses.




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