The steps of any procedure can be summed up in a checklist. The question is whether that is efficient and effective. A patient safety checklist must be more than a collection of tick boxes. An effective safety checklist in healthcare should cover only complex procedures with an inherent risk hazard, being performed in a complex environment, where memory and situational awareness of a team can be channelled by using a checklist. It is counterproductive to have separate checklists, each covering an isolated part of a process. The use of technical equipment by medical personnel is prone to error. Knowledge of how to use that piece of equipment is essential; medical specialists have their own responsibility in terms of possession of adequate skills. Maintenance and function checks are key to safe use. Checks of equipment or devices prior to surgery should be done as part of a generic perioperative checklist.