Subaru 2002 Forester Owner's Manual page 72

Do not put any kind of cover over
either seatback.
The SRS side airbag is stored in the door side of each front seatback,
which bears an "SRS AIRBAG" label.
In a moderate to severe side impact collision, the SRS side airbag on the
impacted side of the vehicle deploys between the occupant and the
door panel and supplements the seatbelt by reducing the impact on the
occupant's chest.
B Operation
CAUTION
Do not touch the SRS side airbag system components around the
front seatback with bare hands right after deployment. Doing so
can cause burns because the components can be very hot as a
result of deployment.
1-44
Do not attach accessories to the door
trim or near either side airbag and do
not place objects near either side air-
bag.
HS0347 HS0353