Using Superior Mark® Floor Marking Tape in a workplace organization system like the 5S Methodology can improve facility safety, productivity, and efficiency. Heavy-duty floor marking tape and signs are ideal supplies for creating a visual workplace and to promote 5S practices within a warehouse or manufacturing facility. More efficient and cost-effective than painting, our 5S floor tape and signs don’t require any dry time, so the floor can open again right away.
What Does 5S Stand For?
When implemented in warehouses or industrial facilities, 5S and/or Lean protocols improve productivity. The five steps of the 5S Methodology are:
- Sort, Seiri (整理): Sort through items in the work area and remove anything that isn’t useful or necessary.
- Set in Order, Seiton (整頓): Arrange tools and materials in a logical way that allows easy access with minimal reach required.
- Shine, Seisō (清掃): A routine of cleaning and inspection to ensure a clean, safe work zone.
- Standardize, Seiketsu (清潔): Establishing steps and practices to aid in the successful implementation of the first three steps in the 5S method.
- Sustain, Shitsuke (躾): Regular audits, inspections, and training sessions to ensure the system is followed—and making adjustments or improvements to the processes if something does not work.
How Does Floor Marking Tape Help 5S?
Because 5S relies on continuous improvement, Superior Mark® Floor Marking Tape aids in the fifth step: “Sustain.” Our easy to install floor tape can be removed and adjusted as new workflows or improved methods are implemented. Rather than shutting down the floor for a day or more to strip paint, clean, mark, and paint new lines, updating floor tape doesn’t require dry time so there’s less time lost to marking new processes. A patented design that includes a beveled edge and recessed adhesive means it lasts longer than paint or other, lower quality tapes, too—reducing the need for repairs and full replacement.
It’s not just for 5S, either—this tape is useful in facilities that use Gemba Walks as a tool to pinpoint and improve problems in the process, can improve OSHA compliance, and complements or improves safety practices in industrial facilities, warehouses, and office buildings.
How to Use Floor Marking Tape for 5S
While each facility has different requirements, industrial floor marking tape is a durable, adaptable solution for implementing or improving 5S systems. Easy-to-see colors and messages ensure that notices, warnings, and safety information can be spotted right away. Visual management systems are helpful in everything from designating traffic flow and marking restricted access areas to reducing clutter and improving productivity. Some ways floor marking tape and signs can help improve workflow include:
Providing Visual Cues
Color-coded or custom-printed floor tape, shapes, and signs offer clear instructions, key in a visual workplace. Whether providing directional cues, bringing attention to hazards, or offering reminders, 5S floor tape and signs can improve facility safety.
Creating a System for De-Cluttering
A ‘Red Tag Area’ is one method for keeping clutter and unused items off the floor. During the sorting process, a red tag indicates that an item should be removed from the workspace. Even after sorting, a red outline around a table, shelf, or open floor space can designate space for unnecessary tools or items. They can later put away or redistributed—keeping them out of the way.
Standardizing Colors and Processes
Creating an ordered, regulated set of processes improves the likelihood that staff will follow the procedures. Defining the use for specific colors, symbols, and shapes ensures the meaning is clear. For example, designating permanent aisles and traveled paths in OSHA-required yellow, then creating a color-coding strategy for workflow, storage areas, works-in-progress, and holding areas ensures each zone is clear.
But, new or temporary employees or visitors may not understand the meaning by color alone. Shapes, graphics, and text can improve communication and 5S processes in a facility. Define the standard, post clear instructions, implement training protocols, and remain consistent to see results.
Keeping Items in Place
Marking outlines on the floor encourages employees to return items where they belong. With a clearly marked space, it’s easier for staff to understand where equipment or tools belong, but also lets others see at a glance if something has been forgotten or misplaced. Use custom-printed tape outlines or signs with text or graphics to make it clear what goes in the space. It also helps floor managers see what items are often in use—and improve productivity by sourcing additional tools as needed.
Continuous Improvement
One reason 5S works so well is that regular inspections and communication allow for improved processes. Floor tape and signs offer durable, long-lasting adhesive that can withstand high traffic—but are designed to remove easily so floor markings are can change as processes do. No paint scraping, sanding, adhesive remover, or long stretches of downtime required.
Set in Order with Floor Marking Equipment
Speed up floor tape installation with our Floor Marking Equipment. The Kaizen Cart keeps floor tape tools in one place, so it’s simple to apply, repair, and replace 5S floor markings without significant disruption. The Kaizen Cart improves daily maintenance and supports 5S and Lean initiatives by keeping supplies in a central location, encouraging continuous improvement, and reducing waste.
Industrial floor marking tape is designed for easy application to keep 5S systems and manufacturing facilities running efficiently. Our Superior Mark® floor tape can stand up against forklift traffic, pallet scraping, and cleaning chemicals and machines—saving repair and replacement hours. Whether implementing or adjusting 5S or Lean processes, our supplies help reduce wasted resources, improve efficiency, and promote clear visual communication.
