Definition of 6S:
6S is 5S but with an extra S for safety.
5S is a system for instilling order and cleanliness in the workplace. The S’s stand for:
- Seiri or sort
- Seiton or straighten
- Seiso or shine
- Seiketsu or standardize
- Shitsuke or sustain
As translated, the Japanese terms mean the following:
- Seiri‚ Put things in order (Remove what is not needed and keep what is needed)
- Seiton‚ Proper arrangement (Place things in such a way that they can be easily reached whenever they are needed)
- Seiso, Clean (Keep things clean and polished; no trash or dirt in the workplace)
- Seiketsu‚ Purity (Maintain cleanliness after cleaning‚ perpetual cleaning)
- Shitsuke‚ Commitment (A typical teaching and attitude toward any undertaking to inspire pride and adherence to standards)
When your organization wants *also* to focus on safety, like — for example — in warehouse or worksite operations — a sixth S is added to the system.
An alternative translation and meaning of these terms may be found in The Improvement Book by Tomo Sugiyama:
- Sorting‚ Good and bad, useable and non-useable
- Systematic arrangement‚ Once sorted, keep systematically to have traceability
- Spic and span‚ Keep arranged things always ready-to-use, dirt-free and tidy
- Standardize‚ Make a process for the above three stages, create measures and review them
- Self-discipline‚ Individual commitment
- Safety, Where workers feel safe and secure
