Affiliations: Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Louisiana State
University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA | Construction Management, Louisiana State University,
Baton Rouge, LA, USA
Note: [] Corresponding author: Laura H. Ikuma, Mechanical and Industrial
Engineering, Louisiana State University, 2508 Patrick Taylor Hall, Baton Rouge,
LA 70803, USA. Tel.: +1 225 578 5364; Fax: +1 225 578 5924; E-mail:
likuma@lsu.edu
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Healthcare faces major challenges with provider safety
and rising costs, and many organizations are using Lean to instigate change.
One Lean tool, 5S, is becoming popular for improving efficiency of physical
work environments, and it can also improve safety. OBJECTIVE: This paper demonstrates that safety is an integral part
of 5S by examining five specific 5S events in acute care facilities. We provide
two arguments for how safety is linked to 5S:1. Safety is affected by 5S
events, regardless of whether safety is a specific goal and 2. Safety can and
should permeate all five S's as part of a comprehensive plan for system
improvement. METHODS: Reports of 5S events from five departments in one health
system were used to evaluate how changes made at each step of the 5S impacted
safety. RESULTS: Safety was affected positively in each step of the 5S
through initial safety goals and side effects of other changes. CONCLUSIONS: The case studies show that 5S can be a mechanism for
improving safety. Practitioners may reap additional safety benefits by
incorporating safety into 5S events through a safety analysis before the 5S,
safety goals and considerations during the 5S, and follow-up safety
analysis.
Keywords: Lean, healthcare provider safety, quality, process improvement
