Extension of the Lean 5S Methodology to 6S with An Additional Layer to Ensure Occupational Safety and Health Levels

Mariano Jiménez, Luis Romero, Jon Fernández, María del Mar Espinosa and Manuel Domínguez
Additional contact information
Mariano Jiménez: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technical School of Engineering—ICAI, Comillas Pontifical University, 25, 28015 Madrid, Spain
Luis Romero: Design Engineering Area, Industrial Engineering School, National Distance Education University (UNED), 38, 28015 Madrid, Spain
Jon Fernández: Design Engineering Area, Industrial Engineering School, National Distance Education University (UNED), 38, 28015 Madrid, Spain
María del Mar Espinosa: Design Engineering Area, Industrial Engineering School, National Distance Education University (UNED), 38, 28015 Madrid, Spain
Manuel Domínguez: Design Engineering Area, Industrial Engineering School, National Distance Education University (UNED), 38, 28015 Madrid, Spain

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 14, 1-18

Abstract: This paper proposes an expansion of the Lean 5S methodology, which includes the concept of Safety–Security as 6S. Implementation was done by a standardized process tested in a pilot area that is part of the Integrated Industrial Manufacturing System Laboratory at the Higher Technical School of Engineering (ICAI). The additional 6S phase (Safety-Security) thoroughly reviews all areas of an industrial plant by analyzing the risks at each workstation, which let employees be fitted out with protection resources depending on each of their personal characteristics and to guarantee the safety of the workstation by strictly complying with occupational safety and health and machinery use standards, which must hold a CE certificate of compliance. The main objective was to increase the scope of 5S methodology to respond to the occupational safety and health needs for machines required in optimizing production processes. It is important to remember that companies must guarantee that their employees use personal protection equipment (PPE) at their work posts or stations that protect them properly from risks to their health and safety and that cannot be prevented or sufficiently limited by using collective means of protection or by adopting work organization measures. The industrial resources employed in the pilot area chosen for 6S implementation were a sheet metal deformation and cutting line comprised of a punch press, feeder, and winder, as well as a conventional machine tool with minimum safety specifications and without CE certification. Until now, there had been no plans to implement a 6S tool in this laboratory. However, given that the existing safety risk to operators is high, the implementation has led to obtaining optimal results, which justify the success of the 6S methodology proposal. In short, it lets us advance towards the zero accident target.

Keywords: lean manufacturing; 6s; PDCA; safety (security); CE certification (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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