With November being “Child Safety Protection Month,” it’s a good time to boost awareness through better and more transparent labels. Most products feature usage instructions and safety hazards on their custom labels, helping customers ensure they do not misuse products and accidentally injure themselves. However, children may not think twice about how they use goods, which can result in some hazardous scenarios.

Child Safety Protection month presents an ideal time to reconsider whether product labels do a better job of conveying proper usage instructions. Child injuries are unfortunately incredibly common. According to Electrical Safety Foundation International, household injuries and accidents affect thousands of American children each and every year. For instance, nearly one in four children suffer from heat-related burns. Additionally, nine in every ten poison exposures in children occurs within the household. While not all of these accidents may be preventable through better communication of dangers through product labels, every bit can help.

“Most labels are designed with adults in mind, giving them very specific instructions about potential dangers and how to use the item to achieve optimal results,” says Scott Proctor, vice president of sales at Lightning Labels, a custom label printer based in Denver, CO, USA. “However, when it comes to children, it is a whole new ball game. Graphics and simplified language can help convey dangers to children more effectively than conventional fine print.”

Whether brands are designing products for children or simply want to do a better job of communicating dangers to kids, safety labels and stickers are the first place to start. “When it comes to alerting children of the potential dangers of a product, graphics and images are the best way of doing so. For example, on an item that is potentially toxic or poisonous, a skull and cross bones may scare children away from using them. Or for a product that may be hot, a picture of a hand combined with a giant X crossing it out that indicates people should not touch it. Both of these graphics communicate potential dangers to children non-verbally, which may convince them to think twice before using these items,” Proctor says.

Product manufacturers should also be sure to include child-specific usage instructions, Proctor adds. “This would probably most relevant for pharmaceutical goods, supplement manufacturers and other similar product categories that may require a smaller dosage or additional consideration for children. This will help parents and caregivers ensure they do not accidentally endanger their children when using particular products.”