5S As an Environmental Organization Management Tool; Benefits and Barriers

In a manufacturing environment, implementing 5Ss can result in considerable improvements in environmental performance in parallel with improved housekeeping and health and safety. The 5Ss in theory are a set of straightforward steps to continual improvement. Implementation of the 5Ss is influenced by many factors that can interfere with the effectiveness of the technique. Effective implementation depends on top-level commitment and total involvement of staff at all levels within a firm. Likewise, environmental management that results in real improvement depends upon commitment at the top and involvement and commitment of employees from all levels and functions of the business in improvement actions. The authors in the present paper explain the steps of 5Ss in theory and the benefits from implementing, housekeeping, and health and safety purposes. Also the factors such as time, management structure, space, control, feedback, and communications that act as barriers to the implementation of the 5Ss are introduced and possible solutions to improving the environmental performance with respect to environmental management system are also identified.

Keywords:

Environmental management , Organization , 5S , Management tool