Ontivity Resources

The phrase “pencil whipping” is commonly used in the safety industry to describe the practice of completing inspection forms or checklists without conducting a thorough inspection (e.g., “checking the box”). Pencil whipping is a serious issue that can compromise workplace safety and increase the risk of accidents and injuries.

We will discuss a few key points of why pencil whipping is a bad idea and a few steps that we must take to eradicate this damaging, unethical practice.

• KNOW WHAT CAN LEAD TO PENCIL WHIPPING

• UNDERSTAND THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH PENCIL WHIPPING

• TAKE STEPS TO PREVENT PENCIL WHIPPING

KNOW WHAT CAN LEAD TO PENCIL WHIPPING.

Time pressure in an organization is frequently the gating factor that leads employees to take shortcuts to finish their tasks quickly. When employees face strict and sometimes unrealistic targets and are over-burdened with too much paperwork, they choose pencil whipping to save time while meeting the deadline instead of conducting a comprehensive review. In a world where productivity is highly valued, employees could feel indirectly (and sometimes directly) pressured to “pencil-whip” a process to just get the job done.  Lack of supervision or accountability could also lead to “pencil-whipping”. Our leaders must remain in lockstep with our workforce and discourage this risky practice. 

UNDERSTAND THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH PENCIL WHIPPING.

“Pencil-whipping” can be particularly risky in situations where employee safety is crucial.  When you brush over the fall protection section of a JHA or check “passed” when crews are not wearing their PPE you, you bring unnecessary risks into the workplace. The negligent act of pencil whipping takes away our ability to provide a safe workplace for our employees. Pencil whipping safety documents endangers workers’ wellbeing.  Many of our safety documents, like our JHA, are legal documents and when not completed with your full attention can result in legal consequences and hefty fines.  Non-compliance with industry regulations or safety standards can result in citations, fines, and/or work suspension and contract termination. Pencil whipping can lead to a toxic work environment, where accountability and trust are eroded, and workers become indifferent to their responsibilities. None of these are in alignment with our core value of safety. 

TAKE STEPS TO PREVENT PENCIL WHIPPING.

By implementing a system of checks and balances, ensuring proper training and supervision, and promoting a culture of accountability and responsibility, we can eliminate the negligent act of pencil whipping from our workplace. Which in turn will ensure the safety and quality of our products and services.  Our commitment to our core values has enabled us to become a leader and go-to organization in our industry. Pencil whipping any document, not just safety documents jeopardizes that position.  Self-pride, accountability, and supervision are essential pieces to preventing pencil whipping. You should be proud to work at a company that cares for you and wants nothing more than for you to be successful at whatever it is you want to achieve.  When you pencil-whip documents, you put yourself and your coworker in harm’s way, so don’t do it.  Managers and supervisors should establish clear expectations and a system of checks and balances to ensure that the act of pencil whipping doesn’t happen at any of the Ontivity family companies.

As cliché as the saying goes, it starts with you!  Be the leader that we know you are and hold each other accountable to eliminate pencil whipping from our workplace.

If you would like more information on this topic or any other safety-related topic, please reach out to the Ontivity safety team at safety@ontivity.com, and we will get you taken care of.