'Danger: Avoid Death' Contest Winner

[snopes]

Words to live by, from a warning label on a small tractor: "Danger: Avoid Death." That warning was selected Wednesday as the winner of the 11th annual "Wacky Warning Label Contest," sponsored by Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071212/D8TG4V0G0.html

[Richard W]

As far as wacky labels go, that one seems pretty sensible - it looks as though all the things mentioned are genuine potentially fatal dangers that you might not otherwise bother with...

What's going on in the picture, though? If that's the "unlowered" lift arms falling down and knocking the person's head off, then shouldn't it be crossed out?

[BoKu]

Originally Posted by snopes

Words to live by, from a warning label on a small tractor: "Danger: Avoid Death." That warning was selected Wednesday as the winner of the 11th annual "Wacky Warning Label Contest," sponsored by Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch.

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20071212/D8TG4V0G0.html

Wacky? I was expecting something like "Keep knife out of children," or my old pre-Engrish favorite "Do not bang exhaust box at dogs!"

For the OP warning I don't see what the fuss is about - it looks like a pretty good warning to me. When I saw one of these on my BIL's Bobcat skid-steer loader it got my attention. I read it, it made perfect sense, and I took heed. That's the way a good warning label works.

For those who haven't seen it in person or clicked the picture link, it's a warning against leaving the seat of the skid-steer loader prematurely. The only way into the operator's seat of these little earthmovers is through the path of the lift bucket on the front of the machine. Leaving the seat while the bucket is raised is an invitation to the fates to lower the bucket unexpectedly and crush your body.

The label reads (headings and graphics paraphrased):

Danger!
Avoid Death:
Before removing seat belt and leaving seat:
* Lower lift arms to ground or rest lift arms on stops
* Stop engine
* Lock park brake & remove key

The Danger and danger symbol (! in triangle) gets your attention, and the "Avoid death" heading draws you into a bulleted list of things you must do to avoid getting killed in an all-too-common industrial accident.

Bob "BoKu" K.

[FullMetal]

as I was at the mall on the weekend, I actually saw the "do not put child in bag" warning sign many times. it is on every one of the rental strollers at West Edmonton Mall...

as recently as Saturday...
didn't realize I could have entered it in a contest...

[Callie Cat]

Not a warning label but I once bought a cat toy at a dollar store because of the packaging. The label said "Cat Tunnel" and further down in small letters "Cat not included"

Callie.