AN INTRODUCTION TO :

WHAT IS 5S ?

“ 5S “ stands for 5 Japanese words all starting with

S. But, in the Philippines, someone translated these
Japanese words into 5 English words also starting
with S. Therefore, it is not necessary to remember 5S
in Japanese. What is important is to understand what
it means and practice it rather than just memorizing
the words.
JAPANESE ENGLISH FILIPINO MEANING

Seiri Sort Suriin Take out unnecessary

items & dispose

Seiton Systemize Sinupin Arrange necessary

items in good order
Seiso Sweep Simutin Clean your workplace

Maintain High
Seiketsu Sanitize Siguruhin ang
standard of
Kalinisan
housekeeping

Self-Discipline Sariling Kusa Do things

Shitsuke spontaneously w/o
being told or ordered
5S is a systematized approach to organized
work areas, keep rules and standards, and
maintain the discipline needed to do a good job.

It utilizes workplace organization and work

simplification techniques to make work easier,
faster, cheaper, safer and more effective.
WHY 5S ?

1. Workplace becomes clean and better organized.

2. Work becomes easier and safer.
3. Results are visible to everyone.
4. Visible results trigger generation of more and new ideas.
5. People are automatically disciplined
6. People become proud of well - organized workplace
7. Resultant of good company image and generates more
business.
SEIRI ( SORT )
Is an ACTION to identify and eliminate all
unnecessary items from your workplace.
SEITON ( SYSTEMATIZE)
Is an ACTION to put every necessary items in good
order
SEISO ( SWEEP )
Is an ACTION to clean your workplace thoroughly.
SEIKETSU ( SANITIZE )
IS a CONDITION to where high standard of
good housekeeping is maintained so that there is
no dust and rust anywhere.
SHITSUKE ( SELF-DISCIPLINE )
Is a CONDITION where all members practice the
above 4S’s spontaneously and willingly as a way
of life. ACCORDINGLY, it is a CULTURE.
 4S can be practiced by order or by enforcement.
But, such practice will be only short lived. Therefore,
to give a long life to 4S and to ensure that the level of
4S to make continuos improvement, it is essential to
create such a corporate culture where well disciplined
people (management & employees together) practice
4S autonomously, spontaneously and willingly. When
you reached such stage, then, you can say you say you
are practicing 5S.
SEIRI ( SORT )

Make work easy by eliminating obstacle

Provide no chance of being disturbed with

unnecessary items.

Eliminates the need to care of unnecessary items.

Prevent accumulations of unnecessary items

SEITON ( SYSTEMATIZE)

Arrange necessary items in good order so that they can

be easily picked up for use

Prevent loss and waste of time

Easy to find and pick up necessary items

Ensure first - come - first served basis

Make work flow smooth and easy

SEISO ( SWEEP )

Clean your workplace completely:

¶ Easy to check abnormality

¶ Prevent machinery & equipment from deterioration
¶ Keep workplace safe and easy to work
Some SEISO Practice:

1. Clean-up day ( Big Seiso )

2. 3-5 minutes cleaning daily
3. Combine cleaning with inspection
4. Make daily maintenance
5. Provide necessary tools for critical points of cleaning
6. Prevent causes of dust and dirt
7. Assign owner to each machine
SEIKETSU ( SANITIZE )

Maintain high standards of housekeeping and

workplace organization at all times

¶ Maintain cleanliness and orderliness

¶ Prevent mis-operation
¶ Make it easy to find out abnormality
¶ Standardize good practice
Some SEIKETSU Practice:

1. Visual control signs

2. Color coding
3. Inspection marks
4. Maintenance labels
5. Prevention of dust, dirt, noise and vibration
HOW TO PRACTICE 5S...

“ SEIRI (SORT) “
SEIRI (SORT) means, “Take out unnecessary
items and dispose”.
Steps:
Look around your workplace with your colleagues.
Discover and identify items are unnecessary to your work
then, dispose all unnecessary items.
NEVER KEEP ANYTHING WHICH ARE
UNNECESSARY TO YOUR WORK.
If you and your colleagues cannot decide if an item
is necessary or unnecessary, put DISPOSAL
NOTICE with the date on the item, and set them
aside.
After a period, say three months, check if someone
needed the item or not. If no one needed the item for
three months, that means the item is not needed for
your work. When you cannot decide yourselves, you
can make the time to make decision.
NOTE:
In this SORTING operation, you must not forget inside the
drawers. Lockers and cabinets.

Disposal can be done in either of the following ways:

2.1 Sell to outside the company
2.2 Move to other department /section where the item is needed.
2.3 Throw it away, or dispose as garbage.
2.4 in disposing the item belonging to the company, it is better
to make people know who has the authority for disposal.
2.5 It is also better to make known to the people where to return
excessive stock of materials and supplies.
 2.6 While looking around for unnecessary items in
your workplace, look at every nook and corner like
when you are looking for cockroaches.

It will be bonus to you if you found some useful items.

“ SEITON (SYSTEMATIZE) “

SEITON (SYSTEMATIZE) means, “ Arrange

necessary items in good order for use “
Steps:
Make sure that all unnecessary items are eliminated
from your workplace.
Then, think of what things should be put where,
taking into account the flow of your work,
movement of forklifts/carts from the point of view of
side and efficient operation.
Then, decided with your colleagues which things to put where
also from the point of view of efficient operation. The principle is
to put most frequently needed item close to the user so as to
minimize the movement of the person. Things which are not so
often used could be placed slightly further away. You make a
plan with your colleagues based on the these principles and
locate things accordingly.
It is necessary to make sure that everyone at your workplace
know what are kept and where for efficient use. Make a list of
things with their locations and put it on locker/cabinets. Label
each drawer/cupboard to show what is kept inside.
 Apply the same principles and indicate the places where fire
extinguisher are located, passages for forklifts/carts, and
wherever necessary, warning signs for safety precautions, etc.

NOTE:
Objective of SEITON (SYSTEMATIZE) is to make
your workplace a safe and efficient place to work in. so,
such thing as a curtain on the cupboard which hide
things behind should be eliminated.

It is better if the standard of SEITON operation

(e.g. minimum/maximum level of stock of
materials and supplies) is clearly indicated in the
workplace.
“ SEISO (SWEEP) “

SEISO (SWEEP) means, “ Clean your workplace “

There is very strong correlation between quality

of products and cleanliness of the workplace where the
product is manufactured. Accordingly, SEISO
(SWEEP) should be practiced everyday, and,
sometimes, even during the day.
The following are suggested for your SEISO
(SWEEP) operation.:

Do not wait until things get dirty. Clean your workplace,

including machines and equipment's, tools and furniture's,
regularly so that they do not have a chance to get dirty.
Sweep aside 3 minutes everyday for SEISO (SWEEP).

You and your colleagues should be responsible for the work

area around you. If you hope to work in clean and safe
environment , it is best for you to create such environment.
Never throw anything and make it your habit.
 Cleaning is also checking.
This point is particularly important at plant and Factories.

NOTE:
In addition to 3 minutes for SEISO (SWEEP) everyday, you
can have weekly 5S time, or monthly 5S day.
Regular cleaning and checking extends the lives of
machines/equipment's and reduces machine breakdown.
Practice of SEISO (SWEEP) by the people of the work area
reduces needs for maintenance staff and janitors/sweepers.
Those people could be shifted to more productive work.
“ SEIKETSU (SANITIZE) “

SEIKETSU (SANITIZE) means, “ Maintain high

standard of housekeeping.”

So as not waste your efforts, do not step after

implementing initial 3S’s. the following are suggested for your
SEIKETSU (SANITIZE) operation.
Create a maintenance system for Housekeeping. Make a
schedule for cleaning of your workplace.
Interdepartmental competition is a very effective means of
sustaining and enhancing peoples interest on 5S.
NOTE:

Indicate the mean(s) of the person who is responsible

for the work area and for the machine.

Regular inspections and evaluations by a special 5S

committee members (including senior management
member) on the level of 4S’s by each work area is
necessary.

Do not only criticize poor cases, but also praise

and commend good practice or good performers.
“ SHITSUKE (SELF-DISCIPLINE) “

SHITSUKE (SELF-DISCIPLINE) means, “ Do things

spontaneously without being told or ordered “.

It is to make everyone practice 4S’s spontaneously and

willingly as habit or way of life.

There is no other way to foster such culture than practicing

4S’s regularly until such time comes when everyone
becomes fond of 5S.
To help create such corporate culture conducive to
5S, the following need to be emphasized:

Treat your workplace as your (own) second home.

You are spending more of your WAKING TIME at

your workplace than at home.

Your workplace is an important place where you make

income for yourself and your family.

If you hope your home to be clean and conformable

place, why don’t’ you try to make your workplace as
clean and comfortable as your home.
NOTE:

In enhancing SHITSUKE (SELF-DISCIPLINE) of the

employees of a company, the role of management is
very important.
Management people should show good examples.
OTHER BENEFITS OF 5S ..

Improves Creativity
Improves Communication
Improve Human Relations
Improves Teamwork
Enhances Comradeship
Gives Vitality
 5S EVALUATION SHEET
Encircle the number which describe the condition at your workplace.

POOR FAIR EXCELLENT

1. SEIRI (SORT) A lot of un- Unnecessary items Unnecessary things
take out unnecessary necessary things are disposed, but not found at any time
items and dispose at the workplace not regularly

2. SEITON (SYSTEMATIZE) Workers often Necessary things

Necessary things
spend time are arranged but
Arrange necessary items are always
looking for not in good/
in good order for use arranged in good
necessary things systematic order
order for quick use
(not good for
quick use)

3. SEISO (SWEEP) Workplace as Workplace and

Workplace and
well as machines machines are
Clean your workplace machines are
are duly and completely
partially
untidy, many cleaned. Every
cleaned (center
things are nook and corner
& surface only)
scattered around are free of dust
 POOR FAIR EXCELLENT
4. SEIKETSU (SANITIZE) No attention is Workplace is Dust and dirt are
Maintain high standard given to keep tidy but not completely
of housekeeping workplace neat completely shutted out
and tidy clean

5. SHITSUKE (SELF-DISCIPLINE) No work People follow Preparing for

Do things discipline; rules; but just tomorrow after
spontaneously w/o people do what to start work finishing work;
being told or ordered they want on time, coming early to
without check machine
enough conditions; Good
preparation for cooperation
the work. among workers