Instruction manuals are not simple informational texts
An instruction manual is part of the official product documentation. In many industries, it may be examined in the event of an accident, complaint, inspection or legal dispute. This is why instruction manual translation has a real legal dimension, often overlooked in automated translations.
An ambiguous wording can shift responsibility from the user to the manufacturer or distributor.
Concrete examples of errors with legal impact
Example 1 – strength of obligation
“The device must be installed by qualified personnel.”
❌ “The device should be installed by qualified personnel.”
✔️ “The device must be installed exclusively by qualified personnel.”
➡️ AI weakens the obligation and creates legal risk.
Example 2 – warning turned into recommendation
“Failure to comply may result in serious injury.”
❌ “Failure to comply may cause injury.”
✔️ “Failure to follow these instructions may result in serious personal injury.”
➡️ In manuals, severity must be explicit.
Example 3 – limitation of liability
“The manufacturer shall not be liable for improper use.”
❌ “The manufacturer is not responsible for improper use.”
✔️ “The manufacturer shall not assume liability for improper use of the product.”
➡️ This is not stylistic nuance, but legal responsibility.
Why human control is essential
A translator specialised in technical manual translation understands the legal impact of each formulation. They preserve imperative force, standardise warnings and eliminate ambiguity.
In this type of documentation, human review is a legal protection measure, not an optional step.