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5S Sort
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5S Sort
The
first stage is removing the rubbish and clutter, it also involves cleaning
and generally making the area tidy. A common area to implement
5S is in
machine shops, this will involve removing broken tools and materials that
have not been used for some time.
By getting rid of unused items space can be made and items that are used
on a regular basis can be found quicker.
A method of removing unused items is to TAG them. Areas are targeted with
a "RED Tag" and dated. if the item is then
not used within a defined period they are removed and disposed of.
The old saying “When in doubt, throw it out” definitely
applies.
When the first pillar is introduced well, improvements in work flow, quality
and productivity will be gained.
Problems Avoided
The work area doesn’t become crowed and hard to work in
Lockers, shelves and cabinets for storage do not form walls between employees hampering communications
Time is not wasted looking for tools and parts
Unnecessary inventory and machinery
Unneeded items disrupt the process flow.
When red tagging is completed the factory floor will usually have empty
spaces. This empty space can then be used to provide a new layout for the
equipment and operations to allow for a better flow.