This time, I’m eager to share our team’s efforts and my thoughts on "Standardize," the fourth principle of the "5S for Safety/Security/Health."
To recap, our definition of "5S for Safety/Security/Health" is as follows.
Sort: Making sure that there is ONLY what you need
Set: Making sure you have ONLY the things you need in the right quantities at the right time
Shine: Making sure that the conditions of Sort and Set are always visible
Standardize: Maintaining the states of Sort, Set, and Shine
Sustain: Practicing/repeating/establishing "Sort, Set, Shine, and Standardize", and turning them into habits practiced by individuals.
See also: Shine: "5S" for Safety/Security/Health
The 5S concept was created at manufacturing sites such as Toyota, and the original five Ss are Japanese words beginning with the letter S. The English version was also developed to fit the Japanese language. However, Standardize has a slightly different flavor in the Japanese and English versions.
In the Japanese 5S, Standardize is expressed as "Seiketsu," which means to be clean. In English, on the other hand, standardize means "to make things of the same type all have the same basic features" (Cambridge English Dictionary) or " to change them so that they all have the same features." (Collins English Dictionary).
In Japanese, standardize is a word often used in daily operations. At our company, standardization actually involves two steps: creating procedures and standardizing. Initially, when creating procedures, we write down the work details so that we can share them with our co-workers and put them into practice. Next, we compare and review the contents of the procedure within the company. This allows us to organize and arrange it into the safest and most efficient method to practice/repeat/consolidate.
In other words, "Sort," ensuring we only have the things we need to work more safely, and "Set," making sure we have those things in the right quantities at the right time is equivalent to general standardization within the meaning of the English term and corresponds to standardization in the general sense of the word. Additionally, "Shine: Making sure that the conditions of Sort and Set are always visible" is added to maintain the "5S for Safety/Security/Health," resulting in "Standardize: Maintaining the states of Sort, Set, and Shine."
These processes are documented as Safety Operation Procedure/Standard, the emphasis being on the word "safety." It is a way to keep safety in mind at all times, even in everyday communication. These Safety Operation Procedure/Standard are shared on the web internally, and employees can check the contents anytime they are in the company with their smartphones. We are trying to go one step further and develop a system that allows workers to check safety as needed each time they perform their work.
Let’s go back to the original meaning of the word in Japanese (Seiketsu; clean). According to the Japanese dictionary, Seiketsu means "(1) To be clean. Also, the state of being clean. Or (2) The character, attitude, etc., that is correct and clean". From this, we can conclude that "cleanliness/standardize: maintaining a state in which necessary things are organized, neat, and clean" is related to a state in which safety and efficiency are continuously achieved in the mind, heart, and body.
In other words, to maintain and improve safety/security/health, it is necessary to recognize the ideal condition/attainment point as a state and use it as a benchmark.
Initially, I was a little uncomfortable with the connection between the Japanese word for "clean" and the English meaning of "standardize." However, in light of the above, I came to realize the connotation of the connection between "Standardize" and "Seiketsu," and I was reminded of the depth of thoughtfulness of our predecessors who worked on "The Pursuit of 0 Accidents."
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