FEATURE ASK THE EXPERT


EFFICIENCY MANAGEMENT WITH facility identification solutions


How can I further increase productivity and efficiency to compete on a worldwide scale? Brady’s safety & facility identification specialist Dominique Roosen explains how to utilise labelling in order to maximise lean manufacturing in your production facilities


I


n lean manufacturing the general rule of thumb is that anyone should be able


to enter the facility and identify the flow of work within 60 seconds. One of the easiest and most effective ways to visually accomplish this goal is through the use of facility labelling. Imagine every employee always knows what to do next because the necessary information is right there at the point of need. With facility labelling you can make


sure your employees don’t lose valuable time looking for tools, spare parts or wondering how to re-order supplies. Strategic, colour-coded facility identification labels can take efficiency to the next level. Customers report productivity increases of up to 35% in addition to improved on-time delivery, reduction in waste and savings 10 times higher than what was invested.


VISUAL WORKPLACE ORGANISATION You could start by marking traffic lanes and walkways to ensure employees can move safely and swiftly from one area to another in your production facility. Forklift lanes can easily be identified with Brady’s ToughStripe Floor Marking Tape warning employees about potential danger. To maximise this effect colour code all traffic lanes for increased recognition. Next, outline storage locations for moveable objects and tools using a specific colour. Add an identification label on the marked location and a matching label on the object itself, for example ‘production storage cart 1’. The same principle goes for tool board markings where ‘tool shadows’ can be used to mark their location. This will avoid tools ‘walking off’ to other departments.


NOT TOO MUCH, NOT TOO LITTLE To avoid inventory overstock Brady proposes to apply a maximum height indicator on the wall. If you do this right you might free up capital tied up in inventory to use for more pressing needs. A minimum height indicator lets your employees know when to reorder to make sure you don’t run out of replacement stock. Use colours like red


20 SEPTEMBER 2014 | FACTORY EQUIPMENT


business. Placing warnings and safety perimeters around moving machinery can avoid a lot of suffering. ‘Lean’ warning signs always include the name and magnitude of a hazard, its potential consequences, a recognisable ISO 7010 pictogram and instructions on how to avoid the hazard. Well-placed safety visuals like these will show you care for your employees wellbeing and at the same time reduce the number of times production stops because of an accident. Quality safety warnings at the place of need are a wise investment.


and green to clearly show the difference between maximum and minimum heights. A third colour could be introduced as an advance warning that stock is running low. On a Kanban card or on the colour marking itself you can add practical information on how to reorder, increasing replenishment speed.


MAINTENANCE REQUIRED? Optimal oil, drive tension and pressure levels can be marked using labels that show when maintenance is required. Think about how a colour-coded label


could easily show the difference between a safe or optimal state and a suboptimal state. If every employee can notice and report the difference, this will have a positive impact on production efficiency. If you are unsure how, contact Brady for examples and best practices.


SMART EFFICIENCY GAINS WITH SAFETY VISUALS Investing to further prevent accidents from occurring is a smart way of doing


To avoid inventory overstock Brady proposes to apply a maximum height indicator on the wall


COLOUR CODES TO MAXIMISE RECOGNITION There are currently no government- mandated or widely accepted industry standards for regulating what colours should be used when creating a lean facility with labels and floor marking. There are two US standards that provide useful information for safety marking like the ANSI Z535.1 Safety Colour Code or the US OSHA standard CFR 1910.144, Safety Colour Code For Marking Physical Hazards. They do not however provide a clear standardised colour code. Many companies develop their own


Many companies develop their own individual colour code to create a more effective, visually instructive workplace


individual colour code to create a more effective, visually instructive workplace. We advise to limit the number of colours used to encourage easy learning and ready recognition of specific areas in the workplace among employees. For example, using different coloured stripes to border areas in front of fire fighting equipment, safety equipment and electrical panels is not ideal. Instead of having three different floor tape products choose one colour for all applications where the intent is to keep the area clear for safety or compliance reasons. Keep it simple is the golden rule in effective lean labelling. It is not always easy to create the most communicative work floor but the results are well worth it. To receive our free pocket book 50 Lean Visuals email Brady at emea_request@bradycorp.com


Brady UK T: 01295 228288 www.bradyeurope.com/safetyexpert Enter 314


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