Cautions

Cautions are statements, signs, or signals intended to alert people to potential hazards or to encourage careful behavior. They serve as a lower level of warning than dangers or warnings, and are used in safety communications, product labeling, work instructions, and everyday advice.

In safety labeling, cautions appear on chemical labels, equipment, and consumer goods to indicate less imminent but still present risks. Examples include “Caution: Slippery when wet” or “Caution: Do not operate with panels open.” These notices are often accompanied by icons and provide instructions to reduce risk, such as wearing protective equipment or following specific procedures. In many standards, hazard severity is tiered as danger, warning, and caution, with color and symbol coding guiding user interpretation.

In workplace risk management, cautions help transfer safety knowledge: they flag hazards that require attention but may be controlled through process, equipment, or behavior rather than immediate, high-risk action.

In legal contexts, cautions can take distinct forms. In some jurisdictions a police caution is a formal warning for minor offences and may be recorded on the offender’s record. In other settings, a caution can be a formal notice to refrain from certain actions.

In language use, caution also appears as a verb: to caution someone implies warning or advising prudence. The adjective “cautionary” describes things that warn against potential mistakes or harms, as in cautionary tales and notes.