--- title: "Doing Inspections Right: The Checklist You Use Matters" description: Well-designed inspection checklists can strengthen a company’s safety program, ensuring that pre-use inspections are done properly. image: https://www.thechecker.net/hs-fs/file-346202401-jpg/images/checklist_image_with_pencil.jpg --- [![the-checker-grey-300](https://www.thechecker.net/hubfs/the-checker-grey-300.png) ](https://www.thechecker.net/) [ Login ](https://store.thechecker.net/login.php) [ GET A DEMO ](https://www.thechecker.net/demo) 2 min read ## [Doing Inspections Right: The Checklist You Use Matters](https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/bid/342524/Doing-Inspections-Right-The-Checklist-You-Use-Matters) by [Shawn Macpherson](https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/author/shawn-macpherson) ![](https://www.thechecker.net/hs-fs/file-346202401-jpg/images/checklist_image_with_pencil.jpg) Inspection checklists can strengthen a company’s safety program—but only if they actually get used and have enough detail to ensure adequate inspections are being done for each type of equipment. There’s considerable variance in the quality of inspection checklists that company’s use. Some create their own simple checklists. Others buy very generic checklists that obviously aren’t intended to promote a thorough inspection of a particular type of equipment. ![Inspection checklist helps ensure safety and inspection compliance.](https://www.thechecker.net/hs-fs/file-346202401-jpg/images/checklist_image_with_pencil.jpg)Personnel don’t take these types of safety checklists seriously because everyone can tell they’re insufficient to document a real inspection. Whether a good inspection is done or not, it’s not going to show up on inspection checklists that aren’t detailed and equipment-specific. Inferior equipment inspection checklists won’t provide the necessary foundation to gain the cost-saving benefits of doing inspections correctly. They’re too easy to pencil-whip for personnel who don’t feel like doing inspections properly. When considering what checklists to use, you should consider important aspects of the checklist design, such as: - Does it include a check box for every part of the equipment that’s essential for safe, productive operation, or could the checklist be used equally well on many different types of equipment? - Does the checklist make it clear which problems make the equipment inoperable and which problems can be flagged for later maintenance? - Are check boxes listed in a logical order, or are they listed in a way (e.g., alphabetically) that causes operators to waste time searching for the right box to check? - Is the design simple and easy to fill out, or is it confusing and hard on the eyes? And is it consistent across each equipment-specific checklist? - Can you use your preference of checklist books or digital checklists on mobile devices?   Without the right features, you can be smart and insist on inspection checklists being completed before equipment use—but still end up with poorly performed inspections. For a complete list of important equipment checklist characteristics, please download our free ["Checklist for Inspection Checklists." ](https://www.thechecker.net/checklist-for-inspection-checklists/)   *Image courtesty of AJC1, Creative Commons.* Tags: [checklist design](https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/topic/checklist-design), [inspection basics](https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/topic/inspection-basics), [inspection management](https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/topic/inspection-management) - [** ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/bid/342524/Doing-Inspections-Right-The-Checklist-You-Use-Matters&title=Doing%20Inspections%20Right:%20The%20Checklist%20You%20Use%20Matters&picture=//cdn2.hubspot.net/hub/245203/file-346202401-jpg/images/checklist_image_with_pencil.jpg&description=Well-designed%20inspection%20checklists%20can%20strengthen%20a%20company’s%20safety%20program,%20ensuring%20that%20pre-use%20inspections%20are%20done%20properly.) - [**](https://twitter.com/share?source=https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/bid/342524/Doing-Inspections-Right-The-Checklist-You-Use-Matters&text=Doing%20Inspections%20Right:%20The%20Checklist%20You%20Use%20Matters%20-%20https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/bid/342524/Doing-Inspections-Right-The-Checklist-You-Use-Matters) - [**](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/bid/342524/Doing-Inspections-Right-The-Checklist-You-Use-Matters&title=Doing%20Inspections%20Right:%20The%20Checklist%20You%20Use%20Matters&summary=Well-designed%20inspection%20checklists%20can%20strengthen%20a%20company’s%20safety%20program,%20ensuring%20that%20pre-use%20inspections%20are%20done%20properly.) ## Related Articles ## [The Hidden Risk of Pencil-Whipped Inspections](https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/the-hidden-risk-of-pencil-whipped-inspections) 2 min read Topics: [checklist design](https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/topic/checklist-design), [inspection forms](https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/topic/inspection-forms) ## [If We All Know Safety Matters, Why Don’t More Businesses Embrace Inspections?](https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/if-we-all-know-safety-matters-why-dont-more-businesses-embrace-inspections) 3 min read Topics: [why inspect?](https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/topic/why-inspect), [inspection basics](https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/topic/inspection-basics), [inspection management](https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/topic/inspection-management) ## [Why DIY Inspection Tools Fall Short](https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/why-diy-inspection-tools-fall-short) 3 min read Topics: [checklist design](https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/topic/checklist-design), [inspection software](https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/topic/inspection-software), [equipment maintenance](https://www.thechecker.net/stories/blog/topic/equipment-maintenance) ## FREE eBOOK WHY INSPECT? 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