Turn on / off - Switch on / off - Start up / Shut off etc

["Broberg, Mats" <mabr -at- flir -dot- se>]

Dear listmembers,

Any suggestions for a clear and unambigious term for "energizing" /
"de-energizing" a piece of equipment?

I'm trying make my instructions and procedures as clear as possible, and
use terms and language in a consistent way. When reading other technical
writers' manuals, I see the following variations:

- Turn on / Turn off

- Switch on / Switch off

- Start up / Shut down

I don't quite like anyone of them. 

The word "turn" originally indicated a rotating movement, but has lost
its original meaning and seems to be used used when energizing all kinds
of pieces of equipment or hardware. The word "switch", on the other
hand, leads the user to associate to "a switch", i.e. a toggle switch on
a panel. "Start up" and "Shut down", respectively, indicate a sequence
of several seconds, which is not the case here. It also introduces an
unfortunate directional meaning, i.e. "up" and "down".

The recommendation in AECMA/ASD STE is "Start" and "Stop", but that word
pair has a nuance of "movement" being started or stopped.

Ideas, comments, anyone?

Best regards,
Mats Broberg
Technical Documentation Manager
www.flirthermography.com

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