Shadow-Boards for Cleaner, More Efficient Workplaces
A cluttered workplace can lead to wasted time, lost equipment and reduced efficiency. Ultimately, efficiency starts with organisation. Imagine a worker in a maintenance room. They usually have equipment lying around their workspace, but it can quickly become cluttered and unorganised when it comes to finding the right item.
Now imagine that worker cleaning up throughout the day. They need to find the dustpan and brush, mop and bucket and any other cleaning items. Workers can quickly start spending more time finding things than working. If multiple people are working at a station, a shadowboard will also help streamline operations, as everything is in one place, reducing the time spent looking for where colleagues have left items.
That’s where Shadowboards can help. Shadowboards are a simple and effective way for companies to implement 6S lean manufacturing principles.
What is a shadowboard?
A shadowboard helps staff members store tools or cleaning equipment in a designated storage location. This way, they know exactly where things are and where to put them once they’re finished. Shadowboards are typically used for storing cleaning equipment, but they are also used for storing tools, lockout tagout products and other safety equipment, such as first aid boxes.
What is 6S lean manufacturing?
6S lean manufacturing is a set of principles that companies can implement to improve and maintain productivity, efficiency, and safety throughout the workplace.
6S lean manufacturing is a set of principles that companies can implement to improve and maintain productivity, efficiency, and safety throughout the workplace.
1. Sort: Keep only what is necessary and discard everything else
2. Set in Order: Arrange and label only necessary items for easy use and return by anyone
3. Shine: Keep everything in the workplace clean and tidy
4. Standardise: Establish procedures to ensure repetition of the process
5. Sustain: Make a habit of properly maintaining correct procedures
6. Safety: Implement strong safety processes, improve productivity and waste
Shadowboards contribute to 6S lean manufacturing processes by allowing storage space for necessary items. They are an ideal tool for reinforcing good habits and ensuring that employees can easily follow procedures to maintain a safe and clean workplace. The presence of a shadowboard alone is often enough to remind employees to follow 6S processes.
What problems do 6S lean manufacturing shadowboards eliminate?
- Reduces time searching for tools and equipment
- Increases life of equipment due to proper storage
- Helps ensure proper equipment is used
- Ensures all tools and equipment are stored safely
- Frees up space to be used more effectively
- Clean and organised workplaces increase productivity and reduce accidents
- Custom-made boards can be created when unique equipment is required
- Establish better standards
What do the different coloured 6S shadowboards mean?
There are four main colours that shadowboards are provided in. These are blue, red, yellow, and green. However, the colour you need may depend on the company’s branding or the type of location where the board is stored. While not a legal requirement, a general rule is the following:
- Blue: General food production areas
- Red: High-risk or contamination-sensitive areas
- Yellow: Washrooms, sinks, and hygiene stations
- Green: Low-risk areas or non-food contact areas
Many companies may choose to follow this standard, while others opt for brand colours or one standardised colour throughout the workplace.
Where do shadowboards have the biggest impact?
Shadowboards can and should be used across many workplaces to help implement 6S lean manufacturing processes, but there are some settings where they will have a greater impact. For example, workplaces where tools are commonly shared or where cleanliness directly affects quality or efficiency.
- Manufacturing facilities: Production generates dust and debris and requires dedicated cleaning stations to maintain product quality and reduce equipment faults
- Warehouses: Staff need to keep walkways clear, reducing slip and trip hazards to maintain safe walkways and forklift operating areas
- Workshops: Clean work areas improve efficiency but also reduce the risk of injury
- Food production areas: Strict hygiene requirements mean cleaning is top priority in food production areas to prevent contamination and improve food safety compliance
Companies that want to build a culture of organisation and accountability, or improve existing standards, should consider 6S lean manufacturing processes and shadowboards as practical, long-term solutions to improve productivity, efficiency, and cleanliness.
Shadowboards support every stage of 6S lean manufacturing and are the perfect option for any business looking to implement these processes. All companies should maintain a clean, safe, and efficient workplace, and 6S is a great way to reduce clutter and create more order in storage and cleaning.
Content created in partnership with Spectrum Industrial.
