Using Warnings and Instructions to Increase Safety and Reduce Liability

• Managers 
• Engineers 
• Technical writers
• Product safety specialists
• Anyone responsible for creating or reviewing instructions and warnings

Although not required, course attendees are encouraged to bring ANSI Z535.4 and ANSI Z535.6 to class.

• What are your legal responsibilities?
• How did we get here and the theories of liability: negligence/strict liability
• Factors in determining whether a duty exists
• Open and obvious hazards and warnings
• Foreseeable/unintended/unforeseeable Misuse
• Modifications of products and their impact on your responsibility
• Adequacy of warnings
• Causation: Did the failure to warn cause the accident?
• Post-sale duties: Warnings/retrofit/recalls
• ANSI Z535 Standards for Manuals
• How to improve your product and organization

• Integrating product safety into your product line
• Warning and Instruction Development considerations
• Practical considerations in the development of warnings and instructions

"The program is very well-rounded and covers each of the elements of warnings and instructions in a thorough, effective, and interesting manner."

"I'd be hard pressed to say what was best—there was so much useful information, and the outside experts were super."

"Good consistent information throughout the presentations. Everyone had the same message for action by companies for warnings and instruction."

Cal Burnton

Cal Burnton is currently a program manager at the University of Wisconsin and before that represented manufacturers and insurance companies for decades.  He has tried and won numerous complex toxic tort and product liability cases, earning a national reputation for his ability to coordinate, manage, and defend mass toxic tort and complex product liability cases with a special emphasis on high-risk matters involving novel legal, scientific, and environmental theories. His clients have included leading manufacturers and sellers of products such as chemicals, healthcare appliances, toys, medical devices, electrical equipment, firearms, printing presses, industrial machinery, and power tools. Mr. Burnton was a trusted counselor to his clients, advising them on issues regarding product liability, government regulations, product safety, and related matters. Throughout the years, he represented corporate clients in both federal and state courts in almost every state across the country.

Angela Lambert

Angela Lambert has over fifteen years of experience in product safety, warnings, and liability. In her role at Clarion Safety, she collaborates with manufacturers – as well as industry partners and advocates – on labels, signs and markings that can help reduce risk and protect people. That includes having a keen understanding of visual safety communication standards, as well as safety label content/design, color systems and print production. From a standards perspective, Ms. Lambert is actively involved at the leadership level in the ANSI and ISO standards for product safety. She is chair of the ANSI Z535.1 subcommittee, leading the standard that focuses on colors used in visual safety communication. She is also a delegate representative to the ANSI Z535 committee, to the ISO/TC 145 SC2 WG 1 committee (responsible for the library of ISO 7010 registered symbols and the ISO 3864 set of standards), and to ISO/TC 283 (responsible for the ISO 45001 standard). Additionally, she is the liaison for ISO/TC 145 to ISO/TC 283, acting as a bridge between the international safety label/sign standards and workplace health/safety standards.

 Ms. Lambert is also an expert speaker on product safety and visual safety communication at universities and associations across the country. In addition to designing and producing best practice labels and signs, Clarion Safety specializes in guiding its clients through a streamlined process to implement cutting-edge visual safety communication systems in line with today's leading safety standards. The company also provides complementary services for comprehensive machine safety, compliance, and risk reduction – in part through its affiliated business Machine Safety Specialists and Arrow Industrial Solutions. Clarion Safety is a member of the ANSI Z535 Committee for Safety Signs and Colors, the U.S. ANSI TAG to ISO/TC 145, and the U.S. ANSI TAG to ISO 45001.

Mark Hickok

Mark Hickok CPSP, CFEI, is Vice President – Product Safety and Regulatory Compliance for Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation.  He brings over 30 years of product safety experience and has extensive background working in global new product development and leading product safety teams and activities.  His work includes directing the development of warnings and instructions, performing hazard analysis reviews, ensuring compliance with a variety of domestic and international standards and regulations.  He is the current Chair of the ANSI Z535.4 Subcommittee on Product Safety Signs and Labels, a delegate to the ANSI Z535 committee, a member of the Society of Product Safety Professional Board, and additionally serves as a representative to numerous trade associations and standards-making committees.  Mr. Hickok holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a master’s degree in Engineering with a focus on ergonomics and biomechanics, both from Marquette.

Jared Frantz

Jared Frantz is a Senior Human Factors Consultant for Applied Safety and Ergonomics, A Rimkus Company. He is a Certified Human Factors Professional who specializes in human factors/ergonomics, warnings, and product and occupational safety. He has extensive experience developing and evaluating warnings and safety symbols for a wide variety of consumer and commercial products and is a member of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z535.4 Subcommittee on Product Safety Signs and Labels and Z535.7 Subcommittee on Product Safety Information in Electronic Media.

Jason Hertzberg

Steven Hall

Daniel Palac