Lean 5S: Shine
The lean 5S system contains 5 steps to achieving a more organized, controlled and efficient manufacturing plant. These steps are Sort, Set-in-Order, Shine, Standardize and Sustain. In this article, I discuss the simplest step in the 5S process, and that is the Shine step. Here it is important to note how intertwined the Shine step is with the Set-in-Order step of the 5S methodology. It's almost impossible to do these two steps in an isolated manner because when you move something out of the way via the Sort step, you most certainly want to shine/clean and maybe even paint, before taking the Set-in-Order step. So Shine and Set-in-Order always go hand-in-hand during a 5S Kaizen event.
Shinning stuff sounds fun, right? You know, like making things shiny like a magical genie lamp. But shinning things in a factory isn’t exactly enthralling work but it can definitely be rewarding. The level of difficulty depends on the level of grime that needs to be cleaned off surfaces and floors. I’ve toured many factories that look like they haven’t been cleaned in 50-years and others that are essentially spotless. The range of plant-to-plant housekeeping performance is vast. So, the amount of kaizen-time required to complete the Shine step varies greatly too. But ya’ gotta start somewhere, right?
Your Safety Plan
Leading a kaizen team through the Shine stage of a 5S event, requires a focus on safety. Doing a deep clean within the walls of a factory can present a high-risk for potential injuries.....that is, if you don’t take appropriate precautions.
The kaizen leader should discuss specific areas of risk with each 5S kaizen team. This includes the potential for slips, trips and falls, cuts from sharp objects, pinching toes and fingers under heavy objects, skin reactions to cleaning solutions, dehydration, heat exhaustion and the risk of air born particulate getting into someone’s eye. Making everyone aware of these conditions is the first step in the Shine phase of a 5S journey. After your safety awareness discussion, review MSDS sheets and ensure that the proper PPE is distributed to each team member.
Establish your Shine Plan
Discuss the best cleaning methods. For example, you want to start cleaning at the highest point in the production room as possible. You want the dirt and grim to fall on the floor and then clean the floor last.
You want to discuss your cleaning supplies. This includes cleaning scrubbies, rags, solutions, mops, buckets, floor scrubbers, etc. Don’t just assume that everyone knows how to clean a factory. The more detailed your cleaning plan is, the lower the risk of injury, the more efficient the Shine process will be and the better the result that the team will achieve. Use the classroom and have a pre-shine discussion to set the stage for a shinning success.
After the team has a solid plan, hit the floor and start shining. If someone asks, does this get cleaned, or does that get cleaned, the answer is most probably “YES!”. Unless someone could be exposed to an unsafe condition, you want the team cleaning every aspect of the area within the scope of the project. You can’t clean the whole plant, but within the area that you are assigned to shine, detail it-out. It is almost like a car detailing, you want to get into every nook and cranny and clean it.
Lastly, be ready to write maintenance work orders. Often when people start doing a deep clean, they find abnormal conditions, such as leaking oil, crushed wires and worn equipment. Explain to the team that if they see these things, to let you know and you will write the maintenance work orders to have all the issues corrected.
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