Checklists

This week I'm going through a couple of checklists in each of our labs at work as part of the annual safety inspection. My findings are consistent with those described in the Checklist Manifesto:

1. Nobody wants to do them. It is assumed they are a waste of time that somebody else is making us do.

2. They consistently point out glaring problems that would have otherwise gone unnoticed.

3. A short checklist is more effective than a long detailed one.