Fall 2002

Visual Workplace Boosts Safety, Productivity

Never underestimate the power of simplicity in dealing with perplexing problems. Cleanliness and order, for example, are at the heart of the visual workplace — an influential approach to production management developed by Japanese just-in-time manufacturing specialist Hiroyuki Hirano.

Hirano’s ideas, codified in his book 5 Pillars of the Visual Workplace, stress the importance of establishing an orderly environment as a prerequisite to all other improvements. The five pillars are often referred to as the five S’s, standing for the Japanese words seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke, translated as organization, orderliness, cleanliness, standardized cleanup, and discipline.

Visual workplace advocates credit the system with increases in worker safety and productivity growing from the elimination of clutter, which removes hazards from the workplace and eliminates the waste of time by workers looking for needed equipment.

Five-S theory relies on processes of sorting, organizing, inspecting, standardizing, and following through.

· Sort. Go through all the materials, tools, equipment, and supplies in the work area. Get rid of obsolete items and scrap material. Repair or discard broken tools and equipment. Move seldom-used items to a separate storage area.

· Organize. Arrange and identify all objects necessary in the work area. Everything — storage areas, cabinets, and shelves as well as the items they house — should be properly labeled. Color-code crates and totes to allow quick grouping of related product components. Paint floors to identify work areas and movement pathways, including swing arcs at doorways, to remind workers not to obstruct traffic lanes. Outline tool shapes on shadow boards to encourage workers to put tools away quickly and to help alert them when tools are missing. Label pipes, valves, control panels, and equipment to clearly identify their function.

· Inspect. Once materials are sorted and organized, regular cleaning and inspection help you maintain order. Regular examination shows up broken tools, leaky lubrication systems, and misaligned equipment, helping you to keep minor problems minor.

· Standardize. To make the first three steps part of standard operating procedure, establish a formal effort to make workers aware of expectations and to encourage them to meet those expectations in their daily routine. Signs, posters, banners, and labels with simple reminders help turn visual workplace practices into regular habits.

· Follow through. Continuing education efforts help train new workers, maintain high standards, and keep the visual workplace system up-to-date with new equipment, products, or work rules.

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The articles in this newsletter are general in nature and are not a substitute for accounting, legal, or other professional services. We assume no liability for the reader's reliance on this information. Before implementing any of the ideas contained in this publication, consult a professional advisor to determine whether they apply to your unique circumstances.

© 2002