This was first published in LinkedIn
I have been a proponent of checklist all through my
construction management days and I usually practice what I champion. The
checklists has been part and parcel of construction process and procedures for
years. Other high risk industries like Aviation, or ship building too uses this
as missing a step could result into expensive losses of time, money and
sometimes human lives. The Hedge fund managers too have their own checklists.
In our industry it is mandatory to attach a checklist while submitting
“method statements” or ITP (Inspection and Testing Protocol) for consultant’s
review. These are equally important while conducting a Risk Assessment before
commencing a fresh construction activity at sites.
It is difficult to apprehend why there should be such
resistance in implementing a powerful tool like this one in their day to day
work activities. It would be interesting if a research was carried out to find
out if the reason behind this reticence is ignorance, over confidence, the “I
don’t need it, I know it all” state of mind or a combination of many such
factors.
As a matter of fact, Checklist are tools to make an expert
perform better. Human memory and attention often fails when it comes to routine
matters and important aspects can be easily overlooked. Checklist can solve our
dilemma about when to follow the protocol and when one’s own instincts. It also
comes handy when faced with a situation requiring us to process high volume of
information.
Aviation pilots uses one before takeoff and landing and someone
once explained that is not a recipe for how to fly a plane but a reminder of
key things that often get forgotten or missed if not checked. Since
then when I notice the aircrew making the routine checks before takeoff, I get
reassured.
The organizations that practically implement these processes
are few and far in-between. This results in high volume of avoidable rework and
frequent incidents leading to life changing losses to humans. The direct impact
on the project is invariably low quality, higher cost and delayed completion.
It was a shot in the arm listening to Dr. Atul Gawande, a
Boston based surgeon highlighting the advantages of using Checklists in his TED
talk. His narration about collaborating with WHO to develop a universal “surgical
checklist” and making significant difference to the world was
very intense. He admitted that the idea of checklist was borrowed from high
risk industries such as aviation and skyscraper construction. Interestingly
enough it was a team from Boeing who provided him assistance while preparing
the first checklist for medical field.
Checklist can be categorized into two distinct types. The
first one is “Do-Compare” checklist for general routine tasks
which one does out of memory and compare against the list. The second one is “Read-Do”
checklist are like recipe and mainly for events that are very new for the
users.
I wish we play our part to use this powerful tools more
extensively to improve the KPI (key performance indicators) as well as make our
construction project sites a safer place to work.
