5S is a program or system to reduce waste and improve productivity through maintaining an organized workplace using visual tools to achieve more consistent operational results. A 5S program will turn an inefficient and unorganized facility into a lean facility. Implementation of this method will clean up and organize the workplace. One of the easiest and most effective ways to visually accomplish this goal is through the use of aisle marking tape that is available in a variety of colors and styles. The general rule of thumb in a lean work environment is that anyone should be able to walk into a workplace and identify the flow of work being done within 60 seconds.
Floor marking lays the foundation for the ‘set in order’ stage of 5S. Set in Order focuses on creating efficient and effective storage methods to arrange items so that they are easy to use and put away. Aisle marking tape can be used to outline and designate work and storage areas and locations. The proper use of floor marking tape helps to create order and pattern of work, which eliminates searching and confusion within a work area. Floor marking tape also helps to clearly define processes and cells in the value stream. Proper and strategic color coded 5S floor markings can help your facility not only meet the 60 second goal, but surpass it.
Standardize is another step in a 5S program and it references the idea of providing charts, visual displays or signs for the employees to maintain order and cleanliness in their work area. Companies have used a 5S floor marking color guideline that will provide recommendations for identifying facility storage locations for materials, product, tools and equipment.
Some companies have even used aisle marking tape as a mean to mark equipment locations using the same color for aisles and work cell boundaries. This choice adhered to the principle of keeping the color code system as numbered as possible. But for others, it may be more effective to use two different colors for two different work areas. When a plant differentiates between colors when marking specific work areas, it creates a visually clear environment that helps employees quickly correlate colors with purposes. Many companies use different colored striped floor marking tape to border areas in front of fire-fighting equipment, safety equipment and electrical panels. Instead of having three different floor tape products, choose one color for all applications where the intent is to keep the area clear for safety or compliance reasons.
In a nut shell, aisle marking floor tape is not only used for marking aisles and pathways but it can be used for identifying facility storage locations for materials, product, tools and equipment. The versatility of aisle marking tape is huge when it comes to implementing it into a 5S system for creating a lean and organized facility.
Additional Resources
- Aisle Marking Tape – 5 Strongest Tapes You have Ever Seen!– creativesafetysupply.com
- Aisle Marking Tape Improves Safety– realsafety.org
- Industrial Floor Marking Color Standards– floor-tape.com
- Floor Tape Applications– floortape101.com
- Aisle Tape Usage For A Better Working Environment– lean-news.com
- Floor Marking Tape Color Standards– blog.creativesafetysupply.com
- Utilizing Visual Communication with 5S– iecieeechallenge.org
- Improving Workplace Efficiency with Floor Marking– 5snews.com
- Types of Floor Marking Tapes for Warehouses– babelplex.com