1. Stability Tools 5S How do we do a 5S Sort ? What is 5S ? Why use 5S ?
Each team area will eventually undergo an initial Sort exercise.
An area known as a quarantine area will be marked out for the team to place its unwanted items. This area will be split into three categories.
Rubbish – That which can be thrown away immediately
Quarantine – Items which the team are unsure of their usage or frequency of use
Keep – Items which are used on a daily basis for production purposes.
All items in this area will be identified using a Red Tag. This details the date the item was placed there and by whom. This area will be reviewed weekly and items will be given an agreed expiry date, where they will be thrown away
What is 5S ?
5S is the name given to a Lean tool which helps us to organise and control our work areas, through the maintenance of agreed standards. There are 5 stages to gaining this control, as the name would suggest, and they are:
Sort – Get rid of unwanted items
Set – Agree best place for all remaining items
Shine – Regularly clean the area to highlight concerns.
Standardise – Make visual images as reference as to what area should look like.
Sustain – Audit the area regularly
Why use 5S ?
5S is more than just a tool for good housekeeping, it sets a clear standard enabling the obvious issues to be highlighted immediately. If there is an empty location on the floor, then something is missing. If there is a box sat on the floor without a location, then why is it there. These are the simple yet effective benefits of 5S control.
When we clean regularly we will see problems with our equipment, such as leaking pipes or gauges or racks that have been hit by a truck. Being aware of these problems affords us the opportunity to look at the reasons why.
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2. “A Place for Everything and Everything in it’s Place”
Stability Tools 5S - Cont
Setting the locations
When a defined home has been found for all equipment and parts we should now confirm these locations to highlight any abnormalities.
We do this by the use of Taped or Painted lines in conjunction with clear labelling. Other Tools such as shadow boards for tooling and cleaning equipment can also be used.
The ideal for the Set is that anyone could walk into the area and immediately know if something were missing or out of position, or that there was something there that should not be.
How do we do a 5S Set?
The most important element of the 5S set is that the team agree the best place for parts and equipment to be positioned. The team should use the following guidelines to aid in their thinking.
Frequency of use – If a part is used frequently it should be located as close as is reasonably possible to it’s point of use. If there are multiple users for the same piece of equipment then the team may recommend the issue of a second or third piece of equipment, or simply re-design the process layout to suit multiple users. The thought here should always focus on the most cost effective method.
Like parts – Similar production parts should not be placed directly next to one another as this can create picking errors.
Ergonomics – The weight of the parts must also be considered when setting locations. Heavy bulky parts should be placed at a height to minimise reaching or bending wherever possible.
Safety – Ensure that the new layout will not obstruct known walkways or fire exits, and that operators are not walking in areas where mechanical handling equipment is operating.
Remember This Saying
“A Place for Everything and Everything in it’s Place”
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3. Pride in the process and the product will reduce
Stability Tools 5S - Cont
Shine and the working environment
Clean light coloured floors and decent lighting, coupled with a well laid out orderly area.
Knowing before you even start work if you have all the tools and equipment to carry out your task effectively for the day.
Both of these points can only help to make the working day more bearable, for those who work there daily.
Failure to carry out the Shine
This will result in a return to poorly maintained equipment and poor quality product directly caused through contamination from dirty or unserviceable parts or equipment.
Pride in the process and the product will reduce
How do we do the 5S Shine?
The 5S Shine is not just about keeping the general work area neat and tidy, it extends far beyond that.
Specific Cleaning tasks will be assigned to various processes, these tasks are not random and will form a basic inspection of the equipment.
These types of inspection through touching are key to equipment reliability, and will usually be built into the documentation for Total Productive Maintenance.
Cleaning is Inspection
A Dirty Area makes a Dirty Product
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4. Stability Tools 5S - Cont
Other Methods of Standardisation Required for 5S
Standard Colour Coding for Layouts
Red – Quality
Green – Production Equipment, Walkways
Blue – Maintenance
Yellow – 5S Equipment
Signage Standardisation
Have the same colours fonts and layouts on all team boards & signage plant wide.
Part Locations
All part locations labelled in the same manner and all relevant information displayed in the same layout.
How do we Standardise our 5S efforts?
We can use several methods to aid in the daily maintenance and upkeep of the work completed to date and they are.
Visual Standards:-
Photographic documents displayed at the work site, illustrating the desired condition of the area.
Check Lists built into Standard Work:-
TPM documentation included in the Standard work folder for each process.
Daily 5S activities Rota:-
A list of all non-standard tasks to be completed in the area in the event of a minor stoppage or breakdown.
Lead Hand/Supervisor Check Sheet:-
End of shift and start of shift activities to include process readiness and 5S walk through tasks.
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5. Stability Tools 5S - Cont
5S Audit Document
Broken down into the 5 stages of 5S with 5 questions for each subject area.
A score is awarded to each question ranging from 0 for no issues, to 2 Many issues with no plan to resolve.
The results of the audit are then recorded on the radar chart. All team leaders use the same chart to record their results which are collected weekly by operations
Sustaining 5S Long Term?
To truly sustain the 5S gains and allow us to continuously improve, we need to carry out regular audits.
We need to measure the results of these audits, and to continuously develop them so as to push the boundaries of continuous improvement.
We also need to confirm that the results recorded match those of the expected standards.
How do I carry out a 5SAudit ?
Each lead hand and supervisor will be taken through the audit documentation during their training day on 5S and their first couple of audits will be accompanied by the plant lean representative.
There are two documents opposite. One is the Audit document with generic questions about the working area. The other is the chart which will be displayed on each Team Board.
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