Seiso Shine - Cleaning Phase
A clean workplace is a safe and effective workplace. 5s Seiso, or cleaning phase, is the part of 5s where you learn how to clean during and after production, so that you have a continuously clean work environment.
After sorting all the items in your facility in the "sorting phase" and then identifying and labeling where everything should go in the "organizing phase", then it's time to clean everything up and keep it clean. The 3rd "S" in the 5s system is "Seiso" or "Shine", the "cleaning phase". The focus in this process is on cleaning and maintaining work areas and any items being used. The goal is to "shine" all the machinery, equipment, tools, and work areas ("Sweep it clean, then shine everything up"), then keep it clean through daily effort.
Creating a clean workplace is an important step in the 5s program. When work areas and equipment are clean and in good repair, it is easier to be organized, easier to work, easier to find tools, and easier to be productive. A clean workplace is also easier to keep clean. When work areas are cleaned and organized at the end of each day, it is easier to stay clean and organized. In a clean work area, it is easier to see what goes where, and also easier to make sure everything goes back where it belongs.
Less dirt equals a cleaner production process. When work areas are clean, it is easier to notice problems when they first occur such as leaks or spills. A mess becomes a "visual signal" that something needs attention in the workplace so it can be resolved right away. Participating in keeping their work areas clean and clutter-free helps workers take pride and ownership in their workplace. Workers are more likely to notice changes in their workspace and problems with equipment. They are more likely to spot leaks, contamination, breakage and other problems that could lead to equipment failure and shutdowns if left unattended. In addition, employees enjoy working in clean bright spaces which encourages productivity.
Another benefit of the "cleaning phase" is reduced health and safety issues in your facility. A clean facility is a safer facility. Clear pathways, properly stacked shelving, clean floors, properly labeled equipment and tools, accurate hazard labeling, and properly labeled cleaning supplies and chemicals all help to improve safety and reduce accidents.
One of the main points of "Seiso" is that cleaning should be done as part of the daily work, not just something that gets done occasionally. "Shine" is not a one-time cleaning project, nor is it a "clean as needed" process. "Shining" is an ongoing action; a daily effort where the work area and tools are cleaned, and everything returned to its proper location, at the end of each shift every day.
Increasing worker awareness of the need to make this daily effort to shine work areas and return items to their proper locations is an important part of this "cleaning phase". Shadow boards for tools, checklist labels, cleaning chemical labeling, labels outlining cleaning procedures, and other reminder labeling efforts are effective tools to help increase worker understanding by creating visual awareness of what needs to be done to effectively meet 5s "Shine" goals.
