A practical introduction to organising factory workplaces with safety in mind.
6S builds on Japan’s 5S workplace organisation approach, developed within the Toyota Production System. The original five Japanese terms are Seiri (Sort), Seiton (Set in Order), Seiso (Shine), Seiketsu (Standardise) and Shitsuke (Sustain). Some organisations add Safety as an explicit sixth focus. The six elements are Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardise, Sustain and Safety. Together, they give teams a way to review how materials, equipment and work areas are organised.
WORKPLACE ORGANISATION & SAFETY
The 6S Methodology
- 01 SORT
Keep what is needed. - 02 SET IN ORDER
Organise for access. - 03 SHINE
Clean and notice issues. - 04 STANDARDISE
Agree on routines. - 05 SUSTAIN
Review and improve. - 06 SAFETY
Consider risks at every step.
What are the six steps of 6S?
1. Sort
Review items in a work area and distinguish what is needed from what is unnecessary. Agree how to deal with unneeded items before removing them, especially where materials require special handling.
2. Set in Order
Choose practical locations for tools and materials so employees can find and return them. Consider access, handling requirements and the flow of people and equipment when planning the layout.
3. Shine
Clean work areas and equipment using approved procedures. Cleaning can also provide an opportunity to notice damage, leaks or other concerns and report them through the site’s process.
4. Standardise
Agree on simple visual arrangements, responsibilities and routines so that improvements are consistent across shifts. Make instructions clear to the people who use the area.
5. Sustain
Review the arrangement regularly, involve workers and follow up on issues. Adjust standards as operations and equipment change.
6. Safety
Consider safety throughout the other steps: identify hazards with the people doing the work, assess risks and select appropriate controls. A tidy workplace alone does not eliminate machine, electrical or other hazards.
6S supports workplace organisation; it does not replace a risk assessment, equipment safeguards, authorised procedures or applicable Malaysian safety requirements. Do not clean or enter machinery until it has been made safe under the site’s procedures.
Where can factories start?
Choose one work area and involve its operators, maintenance staff and safety representatives. Review how the area is used, identify issues, assign actions and check whether changes work in practice. For conveyor or material-handling areas, consider how storage and movement interact with access to equipment and pedestrian routes.
Is 6S the same as 5S?
6S extends the familiar five workplace-organisation steps by naming safety separately. Safety should still be considered in every step, not only at the end. The American Society for Quality’s 5S overview explains the foundation; OSHA’s hazard-prevention guidance discusses selecting controls. These international resources are general guidance, not statements of Malaysian law.
Related insights
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