Lean Construction Ireland Annual Book of Cases 2021 30 l f 2 opportunities. It also increases the communication between site teams and managers. What are the 5S? • Sort – Determine what is required and remove everything else. If it is not needed it is waste, less waste equals less hazards. • Straighten - Set inOrder, a place for everything. Reduce time looking for things.Ensure what you need is close to hand. • Shine - Clean & kept clean. Clean as you go is more efficient and provides a safer work environment. Keep tools and machinery in good order. • Standardise - Create and agree a standard tomaintain order. It allows teams to expand and keep standards high. Work collaboratively to simplify the process. It increases improvements across the organisation. • Sustain - Self-discipline to keep going! Be responsible by having a working team to keep it going.Make the work area more visual to help identify something out of place. Figure 2: The 5s & 8 wastes presentation We then recognised the benefits that could be realised by a systematic approach to managing work areas on the project. It was clear that the message would need to be shared project wide so that all stakeholders could understand the effort required to implement the 5S programme and that all stakeholders got the required organisational support to participate in the programme. We highlighted where the 5S programme could be improved: • Safety: We recognised that if we keep our work areas clean and tidy the workplace is safer. • Quality: We agreed that a clean and organised work area allows people to focus on the tasks at hand, where people can take pride in their work. • Productivity: When tools and materials are readily to hand and access to the work area is clear, teams can focus on getting the right work done, spending less effort on doing work arounds. • Schedule: Have materials and equipment ready and plan in advance to keep the work flowing, materials moving where required and work is more predictable. Waste walks An important part of introducing the 5S strategy was the introduction of waste walks. Initial training was provided to recognise the different types of waste.This was then followed up by groups who provided feedback from different work areas.This allowed teams to recognise the current wastes and identify opportunities for improvement.This was an important step as it gave the trade contractors ownership of the areas and allowed them to make commitments collectively to improve the work environment. Continuous Improvement Following the introduction of waste walks and an awareness program for 5S, we set up a 5S timetable so that areas can be walked, and improvement strategies developed. As a team, we collaboratively worked together to continuously improve the culture and practices on the project. Material storage It was agreed to reduce storage areas.The type and quantity of materials that were being stored were evaluated and removed, as necessary. It was also agreed that the materials would be stored ‘off the ground’ so that they could be moved easily. Materials that were stored were identified as required during the next 10 days’ work. Case 5 Figure 3: Team waste walk audit
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