The first step to answering this question is to identify the hazards. There are plenty of great resources to help you with a risk assessment. The important thing here is to start early in the product development stage. If you can identify them during the design phase, it eliminates backtracking. If you have designed the warning out of the equipment, than it doesn't need to be warned against. If you can, guard the hazards as much as possible. There is debate whether to include a safety label on the guard to warn against the hazards beneath it. There is also debate as to if you should place a warning beneath the guard to warn against the hazard should the guard be removed. My advice would be to do both. Better safe than sorry. There is, however, no requirement that I am aware of to do either. The rest of the hazards that cannot be designed out or be guarded against need to have a safety label. Just be careful not to "over-warn". This may take meaning away from what really should be warned against. I've heard the term "crying wolf". Too many labels may raise false alarm.
The second step would be to understand who the intended audience is. Who is going to be using your product, how much do they know (i.e. trained electricians vs. general public), and will they understand the word message? Considering the nature of our society, how it is still becoming more and more diverse, you cannot assume everyone speaks English or that they are literate for that matter. So you need to consider translations and/or utilizing symbols in your safety label. Also, you should think about being explicit but in concise manner. Too much information may be disregarded. There is only so much time one has to get out of harms ways.
Remember, design hazards out as much as possible, guard those of which can be guarded (possible warn in addition), and definitely warn against the rest. The goal is to protect people and in doing so properly, you can reduce potential liability exposure.
The second step would be to understand who the intended audience is. Who is going to be using your product, how much do they know (i.e. trained electricians vs. general public), and will they understand the word message? Considering the nature of our society, how it is still becoming more and more diverse, you cannot assume everyone speaks English or that they are literate for that matter. So you need to consider translations and/or utilizing symbols in your safety label. Also, you should think about being explicit but in concise manner. Too much information may be disregarded. There is only so much time one has to get out of harms ways.
Remember, design hazards out as much as possible, guard those of which can be guarded (possible warn in addition), and definitely warn against the rest. The goal is to protect people and in doing so properly, you can reduce potential liability exposure.
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