Safety Warnings for Automation

Abstract

Automated systems can provide tremendous benefits to users; however, there are also potential hazards that users must be aware of to safely operate and interact with them. To address this need, safety warnings are often provided to operators and others who might be placed at risk by the system. This chapter discusses some of the roles safety warnings can play in automated systems. During this discussion, the chapter addresses some of the types of warnings that might be used, along with issues and challenges related to warning effectiveness. Design recommendations and guidelines are also presented.