Visual Management: All the colours of the workplace ensure real change!
Colour coding in the Food industry
Humans are creatures drawn to colours; it is how we process the world around us. The first thing people may think of are colourful attractions such as rainbows, flowers, or nature itself. However, this also extends to the workplace. Lean 5S Products promotes the use of colour-coding in the Food industry, as it is known that people respond much more instinctively to colours than words.
Colour is such a simple characteristic, but it can make your workspace a lot more organised. A well-implemented colour-coding system promotes a culture of care and ownership, so that users know which equipment is which.
Categorise your colours
To keep equipment in the correct place, some places of work may allocate certain colours to particular areas e.g. a red broom being for the workshop, whereas a yellow broom is used for reception. This may seem unnecessary to some, but this method is proven to keep the right tools in the right places, providing full traceability on all colour-coded products.
We sometimes attribute colours to specific conditions. For example, when we think of green, we think of the environment, while another colour, such as blue, may be used in food processing. In delicate environments such as the latter, where cross-contamination must be avoided, colour coding can provide a simple and easy-to-remember solution for avoiding many health and safety issues.
Once a specifically coloured tool is identified as missing or being allocated to the wrong location, the problem can be solved immediately, and users will know where the item is supposed to go based on its appearance.
We always encourage workers to implement the ‘three second rule’: if something looks out of place within three seconds, then it probably is out of place. The same rule applies to colours, as it is easy to identify if one colour looks incompatible with its surroundings. This consistency will gel into the company’s culture, and help to provide a stress-free working environment.
Mixing coloured products with organisation tools, such as shadow boards, can further increase efficiency. By hanging colour-coded tools on the boards, any missing or defective products can be swiftly identified and dealt with.
Colour-coding is also a universal language. No matter what languages your employees speak, anyone can easily learn a colour-based system. This saves time spent trying to teach any employees who are having to overcome a language barrier, meaning that time can be better spent elsewhere.
The positive impact that this can have on employees is a big benefit. If employees are more comfortable in their surroundings and they know where each tool is, it is a huge morale boost, and can result in higher levels of productivity. Such a straightforward method can yield massive results for many businesses.
Why choose Lean 5S Products?
Many factors can be improved with simple colour coding, especially with the importance put on health, safety and efficiency.
Lean 5S Products provides colour-coded cleaning equipment from various suppliers, which you can see here. As many of our enquiries are specific, we can design and fabricate unique tool holding solutions as well. We provide a variety of colours, styles and, sizes, and also provide food grade clips to attach the most common cleaning equipment, including squeegees, buckets, shovels, dustpans, brooms and wet floor signs.
If you wish to bring your lean manufacturing to life, our helpful and friendly sales team will always be happy to assist you. Please contact us for more information on how we can help you maximise your productivity and improve efficiency.