How Do You Label Water Pipes?

Water is one of the most used substances in many facilities. It is used for things like drinking, cleaning, cooling, fire suppression, and much more. It is also one of the most common ingredients used in making different foods. All this means that most facilities will have one or more different water pipes that travel throughout the area. Learning how to properly label these pipes will help ensure the facility is following regulatory requirements and …

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5S Factory Reset: Step by Step

5S sweep

In some situations, the factory tends to become unproductive, lacks efficiency and unorganized. This is a time for factory reset where there is a need to start afresh. The workplace may not need drastic changes; however, it is time to implement principal changes that will make a difference and restore productivity within the workplace adapting the 5S factory reset measures. In order to reorganize your work area, the factory needs to have a 5s Factory …

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The History of Kanban

history of kanban

The world-renowned carmaker Toyota began studying supermarkets in the 1940s. Supermarkets have a unique in-store system that uses in-store stocking techniques. Their system always provides for adequate amounts of products on the shelves without having to store excess amounts because customers know they can always return to the store for more. Toyota believed that this same process could be applied to the factory floor. The demand for the product guided the ordering of products and …

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The Concepts of Kaizen

Kaizen concepts

Kaizen is a philosophy, a methodology, and a way of mind. There are a number of tools and conceptskaizen utilizes to inspire the continuous mindset. Below are a few of our favorite. Management: In kaizen, management has two functions: maintenance and improvement. Setting standards and keeping them is an important part of kaizen. One of management’s primary roles is to maintain the technological and operating standards that have been put into place. They make sure …

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6 Reasons to Invest in a Visual Workplace

safety sign, danger sign

A visual workplace uses tools like safety signs, labels, floor markings and other visual cues to communicate information quickly. This information may alert people to hazards, serve as a reminder or provide instructions. You may think your workplace doesn’t need added visuals. Maybe you have a good safety record and production is up, and making your workplace more visual seems like extra work you don’t have time for. Investing in a visual workplace is worth your …

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Why Workers Resist Lean Culture

Karen Wilhelm – Lean Reflections Details. Karen discusses a study on human behavior by a group of anthropologists led by Dr. Margaret Mead, and how the years-ago study can be applied to Lean methodology in the workplace. Karen also details the transition to Lean by an old industrial business in Detroit, DTE Energy. Karen specializes in Lean thinking, and publishes the Lean Reflections blog. She is interviewed by Antonio Ferraro of Creative Safety Supply. Interview …

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