What does Shall and Will indicate in operating procedures?

• A. An enforceable mandatory requirement
• B. An optional instruction
• C. A suggested guideline
• D. A precautionary note

Answer: (A)

In operating procedures, shall and will indicate an enforceable mandatory requirement. This means the actions described with these terms must be performed—it's not optional and noncompliance isn’t acceptable. The language is used to create clear, unambiguous obligations that ensure safety, consistency, and regulatory or organizational compliance. For example, stating that “the operator shall perform a pre-flight check” requires action, while “the system will log the event” assigns a required system behavior. These terms are distinguished from permissive or advisory language, such as may (optional), should (recommended), or caution notes (warnings).