Warning Labels
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WarningByLabels Fred Dosmann, Dec-O-Art In 2002, the NATM Risk Management Sub-Committee of the Technical Committee initiated the development of a series of 17 generic warning labels for small- and medium-sized trailers with the valuable assistance of Weinstein Associates and DecO-Art. Weinstein Associates tested the NATM labels using a 3rd party testing facility with a cross-section of the general public for clarity and comprehension in accordance with established procedures of the American National Standards Institute and certified as adequate in conformity with the ANSI testing requirements. This test procedure is intended to give manufacturers the best liability protection in the market. According to Fred Dosmann, Dec-O-Art, extensive consideration was given to the construction of these labels to make sure they had a minimum of five years outdoor durability. It was determined that the labels would be constructed with a five to seven year outdoor durable 2 mil Cast vinyl material with a gloss polyester laminate and the graphics would be screen printed for maximum longevity. The labels produced have become the industry standard due to their high quality, durable material and specified types of lettering and ink. Because of this testing and certification, NATM labels are distinct and have important advantages over all others in the marketplace addressing the same hazards.
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November/December 2016
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Warning Labels
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Warning labels are critical because they represent the final opportunity for the trailer manufacturer to “communicate” with the end user about the potential hazards associated with operating the trailer and thus to avoid a preventable accident that could result in serious injury and/or property damage. They represent a concession that certain risks of injury or damage are associated with the operation of your trailers - their use and foreseeable misuse – and they cannot completely be designed out or guarded against. Warning labels are the fourth and final step in the process of manufacturing and selling a safe product for consumer use. •
The first step is to analyze the hazards associated with your trailers’ use and reasonably foreseeable misuse.
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Design those hazards out of your trailers to the extent you reasonably can under the circumstances.
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If not reasonably possible, attempt to guard against them, creating some feature or device that will guard against the hazards potentially causing injury.
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If neither of these two avenues of eliminating the hazards is likely to be fully successful, you then have an obligation as a trailer manufacturer to provide reasonable warning to the end user via warning labels or appropriate language in User Manuals.
NATM copyrighted its warning labels, and there are several decal manufacturer members of NATM that are licensed to reproduce and sell the NATM Warning Labels, including: • Nordec • Dec-O-Art •
Kenny & Gyl
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International Security Products
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TGI-Direct
To maximize their effectiveness and minimize your exposure to product liability, these labels must be placed on the trailer in the appropriate spots in close proximity to the areas of danger or risk associated with the trailer. NATM encourages all members to review their warning label needs and to support the Association by using the NATM labels whenever appropriate in their business. November/December 2016
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