Preventing Pencil Whipping of Safety Checklists
Safety is filled with checklists. Pre-task checklists, equipment checklists, start-up and shut-down checklists to name a few. Unfortunately, it is all too common for people to “pencil whip” checklists; checking off items without reading the item and/or doing what it says. Obviously, a checklist isn’t keeping people safe if it isn’t used properly.
Checklists can be a great tool. A carefully composed checklist can serve as a(n)
antecedent (providing instructions on what to do and the correct order to do it),
measurement tool (for tracking that tasks were done), and
feedback mechanism (the performer can see progress by checking items off the list).
So why do so many safety checklists get pencil whipped? The short answer is consequences. Checklists do not provide consequences. They must be linked with consequences if they are to influence behavior. The only behavior that changes when a checklist isn’t linked to meaningful consequences is the behavior of filling out the checklist.
Now it sometimes appears that checklists alone do change behavior. For example, “to do” lists that many of us create in our work and home life appear not to have reinforcement associated with them. There is no one saying “good job” when we check an item off our list. However, for those that use these checklists regularly, reinforcement takes place. The fact that another task is completed is usually the primary reinforcer. Seeing more and more items get checked off is cumulatively reinforcing. It is not the checklist that is driving the behavior; it is the evidence of making progress that is the positive consequence. But these reinforcers don’t exist for all checklists or for all people using the same checklist. In fact, some checklists are punishing to use. They can be time-consuming, overly complicated, redundant, or seemingly irrelevant to the work being done. Is it any wonder pencil whipping is a problem?
To prevent pencil whipping and increase the effectiveness of your checklists, try the following:
- Keep Relevant – Make sure checklist items are relevant. Old items that no longer apply or aren’t important increase the likelihood that people will just check the boxes. When possible, customize the checklists for the tasks or jobs. Sometimes companies try to create one checklist to cover all jobs and all possible scenarios. The more items that seem irrelevant, the more likely users will skip through the whole checklist quickly ticking boxes as they go.
- Pair with Positive Reinforcement – Ensure that the use of checklists is periodically paired with positive reinforcement. The best way to reinforce the use of a checklist is to ask about it. Don’t just ask if the checklist is completed (this is rarely reinforcing), ask about how it helped. Ask the performer what items are most important, ask how it helped them stay safe on the job, ask what safe behavior it prompted. The goal is to let the performer talk about how the checklist helps them do the right thing. If it doesn’t, then involve them in modifying the checklist so it does help.
- Communicate Impact – Link checklist use to improved performance, when possible. Has consistent, quality use of a checklist resulted in a reduction in certain types of incidents and/or near misses? If so, make sure people know that and link it to the use of the checklist. We know that when checklists are helpful, people use them. If the only follow up people get around checklists, is getting in trouble when they don’t fill them out, and if they feel like the checklist doesn’t help them in any way (worst case, they think it is a CYA exercise for management), then pencil whipping is all but guaranteed and safety will not improve.
Will these steps take time? Yes, they will take some time. But how much time will be saved if all your employees consistently do everything on all your safety checklists? Would you spend less time on corrective feedback, discipline, repairing equipment, and doing incident investigations? Clearly a focus on positively reinforcing quality checklist use is worth the time.
Read more on this subject in
Safe By Accident by Judy Agnew.
