Warning Label Safety Symbol Research Summary

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION
Warning Label Safety Symbol Research
CPSC Contract No: 61320620P0038
Contractor: Kalsher & Associates, LLC

PURPOSE
This research is designed to assess how well a set of 10 newly developed safety
symbols/pictograms (“graphical symbols”) communicate hazards posed by some consumer
products. This research will follow the open comprehension testing procedures articulated in
ANSI Z535.3, the American National Standard Criteria for Safety Symbols. ANSI Z535 is the
primary U.S. voluntary standard for guiding the design of signs, colors, and symbols intended to
identify and warn against specific hazards and for other accident-prevention purposes. Kalsher &
Associates, LLC (“the project team”), is collecting the information. U.S. Consumer Product
Safety Commission (CPSC) staff will guide and support the project, as needed. The CPSC is
authorized under section 5(a) of the CPSA, 15 U.S.C. 2054(a), to conduct research relating to the
causes and prevention of injuries or deaths associated with consumer products. Due to the
COVID pandemic, and current IRB restrictions concerning face-to-face data collection, the
procedures outlined in the sections that follow will be carried out online.
DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS
The project team will recruit a total of 80 participants to participate in individual cognitive
interviews designed to assess their comprehension of the 10 graphical symbols. A subset of 40 of
these individuals will be asked to participate in a follow-up focus group aimed at achieving a
deeper understanding of the characteristics of the graphical symbols that contribute to, or detract
from, their effectiveness in communicating their respective intended messages.
The project team will recruit participants via a variety of means, including emails, social media
postings, and word-of-mouth contact. Research participants will receive $45 for each activity
they complete. Participants who choose to leave before completing either (or both) of the tasks
will be compensated on a pro-rata basis for the work they have completed up to that point.
Cognitive Interviews. Eighty community volunteers will evaluate the 10 graphical
symbols, using the ANSI Z535.3 Open Comprehension Testing procedure (see Annex B). This
task should take no more than 1 hour to complete. Participants will complete this task in one of
two ways. We anticipate that most of the participants will do so online. Here, a member of the
project team will host virtual sessions (e.g., via Webex, Zoom, or similar), in which a member of
the project team will explain the comprehension task to participants, instruct them on how to
access the online “test booklet” (i.e., via a web-link), answer any questions they may express,
and explain the (IRB) consent process. Alternatively, the project team may also use a paper-andpencil format (i.e., test booklets will be sent to participants and returned to the project team via

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USPS or a similar method). The availability of this option will be important to the small
percentage of (prospective) participants who do not have online access. The use of the two
symbol testing formats might provide insight into whether respondents, matched on relevant
characteristics, perform differently using the different test administration formats. Only members
of the project team will have access to the comprehension testing data.
Focus Groups. Members of the project team will conduct approximately 4-6 online focus
groups (i.e., via Webex, Zoom, or similar) with a subset of 40 of the 80 participants who
completed a cognitive interview. Each focus group will include no more than 10 participants and
will last about 1 hour. As noted, the purpose of the focus group discussions is to help the
research team gain a deeper understanding of the characteristics of the graphical symbols that
contribute to, or detract from, their effectiveness in communicating their respective intended
messages. As with the comprehension-testing procedures, a member of the research team will
describe the purpose of the focus group session to participants, answer any of their questions,
and obtain formal consent (per the IRB requirements) before the sessions begin. The virtual
focus group sessions will be recorded to facilitate subsequent efforts to modify/improve
graphical symbols that perform poorly. The project team will gather permission to record these
sessions as part of the IRB-approved consent procedure. Only members of the project team will
have access to the recorded sessions.
GIFTS OR PAYMENTS
Is an incentive (e.g., money or reimbursement of expenses, token of appreciation) provided to
participants? Yes, [$90 for both activities, or $45 for one activity] the incentive will help rectify
non-response bias.

BURDEN HOURS
Category of
Respondent
Cognitive Interview
Only
Cognitive Interview plus
Focus Group
Totals

No. of Respondents Participation
Time
40
1 hour

Burden

40

80 hours

2 hours

80

40 hours

120 hours

FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the federal government is $54,540.
Total estimated cost to the government for conducting the data collection is as follows:
Number of Participants
Total estimated cost of conducting the evaluation sessions
Average cost per completed Participant, including $45 or $90 stipend

80
$54,540
$681.75

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The estimate is based on the total cost of the awarded research contract, divided by the specified
number of completed participants.

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LIST OF APPENDICES
Appendix A: Cognitive interview instructions/booklets
Appendix B: Graphical symbols to be tested
Appendix C: Focus group protocol
Appendix D: Email invitation to participate in research
Appendix E: Screener survey
Appendix F: Research session confirmation email
Appendix G: IRB consent–cognitive interview
Appendix H: IRB consent–focus group
Appendix I: IRB approval notice

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