Update from working group on Safety Information in Electronic Media

Charles Burhans, M.S.E.

Paul Frantz, Ph.D.

ANSI Z535 Committee Meeting

9/18/12

Review

• At 2011 Committee Meeting, presented:o Data on increasing internet and smartphone useo Research on the accessibility of electronic owners

manualso Examples of “Safety Information in Electronic

Media”• Consensus of the group was that this was an area of

interest that warranted further exploration

Challenges

• Committee hadn’t had an opportunity to think about and develop guidance for future directions

• There was enthusiasm expressed about the potential to incorporate electronic media and develop guidance for Safety Information presented in non-traditional formats

• Without a clear plan or direction it wasn’t clear how to engage volunteers for the working group.

Goals for Current Meeting

• Brief review of recent research on changing norms in Safety communications

• Review historical approach to developing new standards

• Discuss challenges represented by Electronic Media• Consider approaches• Identify a direction for future efforts

Recent research

How much would you prefer receiving product-related information concerning its features, maintenance, repair,

warnings, etc., through the following kinds of media?Instructional Technologies

2012 mean (ASE interns)

2002 mean (Mehlenbacher, et. al.)

Direct instruction from a live person 2.63 3.53Directly attached to the product 3.55 4.61

World Wide Web - 4.17

Written owner's manual accessible on the internet 3.78 -Video clips accessible on the internet 3.42 -

In an owner's manual 4.73 5.44

Written or video material on a CD or DVD 2.94 3.56

Video - 2.90

ASES 2012; n=145Mehlenbacher, Wogalter, & Laughery (2002); n=365

Likert Scale(0): Do not prefer at all

(8): Extremely prefer.

Historical approach to developing new standards (Z535.6)

o Purpose:• Address the applicability of elements of other ANSI Z535-

series standards to collateral materials• Establish a uniform and consistent visual layout for safety

information in collateral materials for a wide variety of products,

• Assist manufacturers in providing safety information in collateral materials

• Promote the efficient development of safety messages in collateral materials

Historical approach to developing new standards (Z535.6)

o Development Process:

• Reviewed standards and recommended practices for design of collateral materials

• Analyzed existing collateral materials• Identified topics to be addressed by the standard• Developed draft considered by Z535 committee in

2003• Revised 2003 draft based on comments from

committee

Historical approach to developing new standards (Z535.6)

o Development Process (cont.):

• Proposed standard for 2004 committee meeting• Revisions based on feedback from Z535

committee• Approval by Z535 committee• Public comment period• Final approval and publication

Discuss challenges represented by Electronic Media

• Examples• Case Studies• Guidelines• Recommended practices• Research

ANSI Z535

Historically the ANSI Z535 standards have been preceded by countless examples from industry.

Previously Committee has had the benefit of experience

Examples Case Studies Guidelines Recommended practices Research

Safety Signs X X X X X

On-product Warnings X X X X X

Manuals X X X X X

Discuss challenges represented by Electronic Media

o Multiple Categories• Product on-screen warnings

• Static/printable product materials

• Non-linear product information

• Task interrupting electronic information

• Videos

• Interactive applications

• Access points

• Other miscellaneous safety communications

• Future-augmented reality, etc.

Presented in 2011

Discuss challenges represented by Electronic Media

o New Categories/Examples• Twitter/Facebook Safety Messages/”Parties”

• Near Field Communications (Pushing messages)

• Artificial Intelligence, (AUDI:AviCoS, IBM:Watson, Apple:Siri)

New in 2012

Discuss challenges represented by Electronic Media

o Twitter/Facebook Safety Messages/”Parties”

“Diono is joining us for a Twitter party to talk about essential car seat safety. They’ll have experts on hand to answer questions like:•How long should my child stay rear facing?•When is my child safe to move from a car seat to a booster?•How do I know when my older child is safe moving out of a booster?”

Discuss challenges represented by Electronic Media

o Near Field Communications

Discuss challenges represented by Electronic Media

o Artificial Intelligence

“The virtual figure understands complete sentences. Using artificial intelligence, AviCoS interprets questions by the vehicle occupants and answers in spoken language. The driver can view descriptive images or videos on-screen and theavatar points to the relevant areas during the explanation.”

Many questions

Examples Case Studies Guidelines Recommended practices Research

Product on-screen warnings ? ? ? ? ?

Static/printable product materials ? ? ? ? ?

Non-linear product information ? ? ? ? ?

Task interrupting electronic information

? ? ? ? ?

Videos ? ? ? ? ?

Interactive applications ? ? ? ? ?

Access points ? ? ? ? ?

Other miscellaneous safety communications

? ? ? ? ?

Future-augmented reality ? ? ? ? ?

Twitter/Facebook Safety Messages ? ? ? ? ?

Near Field Communications ? ? ? ? ?

Artificial Intelligence ? ? ? ? ?

Options

Historic Approach• Collect/review information on selected topic areas• When sufficient information is available begin the

standard making process for specific media• Key questions will be:

₋ What media to focus on?₋ Is there enough information available for any media type?

• Observations:₋ Long term solution₋ Will provide the most detailed guidance to developers₋ Will require substantial work

Options

Common Ground Approach• Identify relevant aspects from existing Z535 standards• Develop guidance/standardazation that is broader than existing

standards in scope, but not as specific• Key questions will be:

₋ Are there common elements that are amenable to ‘partial’ standardization?₋ What would the form for this guidance be? (Standard, Guideline, Annex,

other?)₋ Would this guidance be useful? Would it be used?

• Observations:₋ Shorter term solution₋ Enduring solution₋ Will provide the quickest guidance to developers₋ Will require less work

From 2011: How to apply concepts from existing standards to new media?

• Other issues:– Type size– Safe viewing

distance– Translation– Durability, expected

life

• Basic building blocks:– Signal words– Safety alert symbol– Colors– Panels– Symbols– .6 safety message

types• Supplemental directive• Grouped• Section• Embedded

Z535 Scope and current content

Excerpts from Z535 Forewords [emphasis added]•“The Z535 Committee has the following scope:

To develop standards for the design, application, and use of signs, colors and symbols intended to identify and warn against specific hazards and for other accident prevention purposes.”

•“Together, these six standards contain information needed to specify formats, colors, and symbols for safety signs …”

Potentially applicable sections of Z535.6 and Z535.4

Z535.4• 4 Definitions• 5 Use of signal words• 6 Sign or label format • 7 Safety sign and label colors• 8 Letter style and size• 9 Sign and label placement • 10 Expected life and maintenance • 11 Safety symbols• Annex A, D, E, F, portions of B

Z535.6• 4 Definitions • 5 Message components• 6 Supplemental directives • 7 Grouped safety messages• 8 Section safety messages• 9 Embedded safety messages• 10 Property damage • All Annexes

Excerpting/Adapting Z535.6

+ Level 1 – – Key definitions– Section 5 Message components

+ Level 2 – above, plus message types– Supplemental directives– Grouped safety messages– Section safety messages – Embedded safety messages

+ Level 3 – above, plus other relevant components

Options

Blended Approach: Establish 2 working groups/projects1. Ad-Hoc group to develop guidance document for use

across all media types2. On-going group/members to review new media uses

and help round out our unanswered questions about the media types. This group could provide regular feedback to the committee about:- Emerging media- State of the research- Recommendations for Media that may be suitable for

more specific standardization