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Comment by kmt-lnh | Hacker News Reader

Gawande mentions the checklist libraries of different manufacturers. I've checked the references (and parts of the citation graph) but didn't find anything about them. The closest were NASA's standards about the typography and structure of flight deck checklist. Does anybody know about how are checklists managed in the real word? How are they stored, retrieved and most importantly updated, when something changes? Not theoretically. from first principles, but like, at the manufacturer?

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Nuclear industry here.

In the fanciest systems, checklists live in a computerized procedure system tied into the plant process computer, so the plant state and procedures can be kept in sync and mistakes can be avoided when the software can see if you didn’t actually do the step you were supposed to.

A more conventional approach is a document management system and controlled binders in the control room with the latest procedures, often laminated so they can be marked up and wiped off.

When working procedures on paper, we always use a circle-slash system for place-keeping: circle the step number when starting it, and slash through the circle when completed.

Finally, key procedures should have a separate document documenting the bases of the procedure—-why key values were chosen or what other documents they were taken from or depend on. That document becomes the key in change management—-if a dependency changes, or you want to change the procedure, you can use the bases document to ensure side-effects are considered.

Finally, procedures still have programmed regular reviews.

Yeah so I'm somewhat tickled that a nuclear industry technician commenting on a thread about checklists has two "finally..." points :)

Thanks too for the circle-slash system, I'm pinching that.

> Thanks too for the circle-slash system, I'm pinching that.

Yeah, that’s getting cribbed for sure!

Not manufacturers, but here's the USAF's collection of checklists (not complete, bases and smaller units will have their own libraries that may not make it into this):

https://www.e-publishing.af.mil/Product-Index/#/?view=search...

The guidelines for updating are in there, as well, I believe.

A better example is aviation, especially commercial. Planes come with Pilot Operating Handbooks (POHs) that contain checklists specific to the aircraft for preflight, inspection and failure scenarios (eg loss of engine power). Manufacturers periodically update these by issuing advisories and addendums to POHs. The FAA also publishes such advisories.

There’s a scene in the movie “Sully” that occurs right after the bird strikes that I’ve seen a few people in commercial aviation respond very positively to in its depiction of checklists during a crisis moment.

There are firms that specialize in software to do exactly what you’re describing. But a lot of it is just cultural. For example, how do you make sure checklists are updated? You hire people whose sole job is to update checklists.

One example of a software firm in this space: https://www.fieldlogs.com/FieldLogsStatic/index.html

It’s been awhile since I’ve read it but I believe the book touched on the cultural piece. One of the unique things about aviation is that there culture if checklists starts with neophyte pilot and continues through their career.

Many other domains have checklists but not the cultural element. When it’s not engrained, you run into a lot of “I don’t need a checklists, I know what I’m doing.”

IMO the culture piece is the real tough problem to solve.

Wait, you don't build an X culture by creating an X department staffed with people whose sole job is to do X.

If you are serious about X, you do indeed need an X culture, but you get that by making it everyone's job to do X.

Creating an X department staffed with X people will have the exact opposite outcome.

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