What is the difference between 'shall' and 'should' in safety procedures?

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In safety procedures, terms like 'shall' and 'should' carry different levels of obligation. When something is stated as shall, it is a mandatory action that must be performed. It represents a requirement you are legally or regulatorily obliged to follow. When something is stated as should, it is a recommended action that you are advised to do, but it is not strictly required; you may justify not doing it based on a risk assessment or specific circumstances.

For example, in an aircraft maintenance procedure, you shall disconnect the power before working on a system, meaning you are required to do it. You should document any deviation or conduct a risk assessment if you believe an alternative approach is necessary, but the default expectation is to follow the recommendation.

The other options misstate these levels of obligation: shall is not optional, should is not mandatory, and they do not mean the same thing.