Wacky Warning Label Winner: ‘Danger: Avoid Death’
December 14, 2007 by Liz Lewis
Filed under Event, Humor, Misc., Morning News, Oddities, Prevention, Safety
The Wacky Warning Label Contest sounds crazy but has a pretty serious agenda. Started by the Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch way back in 1996, it was aimed at making people more aware the effects of lawsuits on warning labels.
M-Law wanted to point out how, over the years, more and more absurd warning labels have started to appear. And it’s not because the manufacturers think consumers are stupid. It’s just that out of control litigation has forced companies to become more and more cautious.
This year’s Wacky Warning Label Contest winners highlight the extreme measures that companies will go to make sure all possibilities are covered.
First Prize:
A label on a tractor stating ‘Danger: Avoid Death” (talk about stating the obvious!)
Second Prize:
Iron-on T Shirt transfer that warns ‘Do not iron while wearing shirt’ (duh!)
Third Prize:
Label on a baby stroller featuring a small storage pouch that warns ‘Do not put child in bag’ (as if!)
Of course, these are just the tip of the iceberg. Previous wacky warning label winners include…
- a sign on a toilet brush saying ‘Do not use for personal hygiene’
- a label on a childern’s scooter that says ‘This product moves when used.’
- a warning on a digital thermometer that says ‘Once used rectally, the thermometer should not be used orally.’
- a label on a hair dryer that reads ‘Never use hair dryer while sleeping.’
- a label on a heat gun stating ‘Do not use as a hair dryer.’
And the list goes on and on…
That last picture (the stroller) I thought was an obvious one too, until I saw a lady have one child in the stroller, and one in the storage basket! And they were both over 5 years old! And yes, her basket had that warning label on it too… must have been an oversight.
Okay, so maybe there is some need for these warning labels…but of course, they would only work anyway if people (a) read them or (b) can read them…