Glossary · Safety information
Operating manual
Also known as: operator manual, operating instructions, user manual
In technical documentation, an operating manual is user information covering the safe installation, operation, maintenance, troubleshooting and residual risks of a machine or product, written for its intended users.
- Technical documentation
- Compliance
In one sentence
An operating manual gives users what they need for safe installation, operation, maintenance and troubleshooting, including residual risks.
Example
The operating manual of a labeling machine explains intended use, start-up and shutdown, format changeover, clearing label jams with the machine safely stopped, and the residual risk of cuts at the dispensing edge.
Explained in context
Context cards connect this term with others to answer one question. Also in British English and German.
- Instructions for use: one manual or a set of information products?Do "instructions for use" mean one user manual or a collection of documents?UKDeutsch
- Betriebsanweisung: one German word, many operator documentsWhat is a Betriebsanweisung, and how does it differ from the manufacturer’s operating manual?UKDeutsch
- Internal and external technical documentation: what "external" really meansDoes "external documentation" mean documentation that is published?UKDeutsch
How it applies
- Technical documentation: Structure the manual around users' tasks and lifecycle phases. Describe intended use and reasonably foreseeable misuse early, and integrate safety information into the tasks where it applies.
- Machine safety: The manual informs users about residual risks and how to manage them; it does not compensate for missing design or protective measures.
- Troubleshooting: Fault clearance is a frequent source of accidents. Give procedures that keep people out of hazard zones or require a safe stop and energy isolation first.
- Language and format: Under EU machinery law, instructions must be in a language accepted by the member state where the machine is made available. Digital formats are allowed under the Machinery Regulation from January 20, 2027.
Operating manual vs. safety chapter
A safety chapter collects general safety information: intended use, qualifications, general warnings. The operating manual must also place task-specific warnings in the procedures themselves. A manual that puts all safety information only in its safety chapter is incomplete; see residual risk statement.