The Problem With Generic Checklists
I've been using and designing all sorts of forms and checklists for years now. Initially, the books I made were always customised and ordered in bulk by larger companies such as mining sites.
As legislation changed, smaller companies and contractors had to have their own Safety Management Systems with their own risk assessment books, permits, and policies. Thus, the demand for cheaper generic books grew.
The introduction of the generic book
I started getting inquiries from people tendering on major projects. They had just been informed they needed their own risk assessment books, but they couldn't justify printing 500 books, so the first of many generic safety books was created - the "TAKE 5 Front-line Risk Assessment".
Printing is a numbers game where the initial setup costs are typically the same, whether you print 20 books or 2000. So this meant I could order thousands of generic books at once and pass on the cheaper printing and shipping rates to my customers.
The system worked well, so I quickly designed other generic products to add to the catalogue. Still, as the years have passed, I've noticed how these generic products become problematic and downright unsafe in some cases. This was one of the problems/opportunities I saw that helped me decide to leave and start my own business.
The pros and cons of generics
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Cheaper and usually quicker. As mentioned before the generic books are cheaper because they can be printed bulk which drastically drops the unit costs. |
Minimal options to customise. The books are already printed and sitting on the shelf. Hence, it is almost impossible to change anything—no changing the questions or colours, no switching to duplicate pages or waterproof paper. |
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Good to test the water. Having a cheaper generic option can provide clients with something to experiment with first before committing to a custom solution. |
One size to fit all. I feel that the "genericness" of checklists can become a safety issue. A generic book has to be useful for as many people as possible but still be an easy-to-use tool. Potential risks can be created when client-specific critical checks are removed to make the book more useful to more people or simply to help it fit a small book size. |
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Stepping on toes. Where is the line where an operator's pre-start checklist book becomes more of a maintenance logbook to be used by mechanics? Depending on the worksite, some may want the operator to do more substantial checks of things that other sites might consider the maintenance staff's realm. |
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Level of detail. In addition to this point, some work site's may want an exceptionally detailed pre-start checklist that systematically takes the user around the machine step by step, checking every item. Other work sites are happy with a series of general questions that aim to supplement the competent operator's existing experience and skills. |
Are custom books the answer?
Yes. Custom books are designed for your specific needs. They can suit your machinery and align with your processes. But more importantly, the books can include input from the people who have to use them; thus giving a sense of ownership and much better 'buy-in' from the users.
What about costs?
If you only need a small number of books, or you need to test the idea out first, then go ahead and use the ever-growing list of free generic versions on our website. If something you need isn't there contact me and I'll see if I can dig something up for you.Over the years, through experimentation and from learning from quality printing companies, we've learned how to print books much more economically. We can now print smaller book orders at a much better price by using good design and minimising waste. Because we don't pre-print as generics, we can provide all sorts of optional extras.
