4.2.2 5s of Good Housekeeping and its Principles
5S of Good Housekeeping involves the principle of waste elimination through workplace organization. It is derived from the Japanese words seiri, seiton, seiso, seiketsu, and shitsuke which can be roughly translated to English as sort, set in order, clean, standardize, and sustain, respectively (APO, n.d.).
Principles of 5S of Good Housekeeping
| Japanese | English | Principle/Action Items |
| Seiri | Sort | Separate necessary from unnecessary. take out unnecessary items label unserviceable or defective equipment/toolsdispose of trash regularly |
| Seiton | Set in order | Orderliness eliminates extra motion. place items in dedicated location to be more visibleapply systematic labeling to separate exclusive items practice First-in-first-out (FIFO) method |
| Seiso | Sweep | Cleaning as purifying the spirit, cleaning as inspection and elimination of minor defects. keep workplace as clean as required by the product/serviceinspect while cleaning and clean before things get really dirty |
| Seiketsu | Standardize | Visual management and standardization. maintain high standard of housekeeping at all timesmake the first 3 S as standard and write themuse standard signs and safety signage |
| Shitsuke | Self-Discipline | Sustaining, maintaining discipline and reviewing standards. do housekeeping spontaneously without being tolddo regular inspections/auditsadopt the kaizen principle (continuous improvement) |