Check lists should be completed on screen or in a written form. Check lists cannot be completed from memory and be foolproof. A very well-known climber was threading up her harness for a short rappel on a day of recreational climbing. She was chatting with friends casually working through her check list before the drop. She stepped into her harness, began to secure the straps and in the middle of a sentence noticed an untied shoelace. She bent over and tied her laces properly and then stood up to start her rappel. She leaned back into the harness and discovered to her horror that she had not completed lacing up her harness properly. She fell over 70 feet and was badly injured. Somehow, in the distraction of preparation, her mind was satisfied when she mentally checked off “tie shoes” instead of “tie in harness” properly. The behavioral script in her head was similar enough that she failed to compete the most important safety step. Some people maligned the climber, but most realized it was simply human error. We are all subject to human error once in a while. You can prevent those issues by using an on screen or written checklist. Then if somebody interrupts you, you can pick up where you left off. -- Jill Heinerth
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