Posted: January 10th, 2017

Discuss how you could use design principles to reduce the risk of injury for this job. What obstacles might prevent your proposed job design from being implemented?

Lean Safety Measures and 5S Application

1. Your organization, a company that manufactures automobile brake pads, is about to introduce lean concepts into its operations in order to be more competitive with foreign manufacturers. The lean project manager does not understand why you, the safety manager, want to be a part of the process. Provide a convincing argument about what you can contribute if you are included.

2. From your own experience or through research, select a job that has a high risk of serious injury or fatality. Discuss how the 5S concept could be used to redesign the job and reduce the serious risks.

3. From your own experience or through research, select a job that has a high risk for causing workplace musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Discuss how you could use design principles to reduce the risk of injury for this job. What obstacles might prevent your proposed job design from being implemented?

4. Think about a time when you were required to accomplish a new or non-routine task at work that had the potential to cause injury or illness. Discuss how a management of change process could be used to reduce the risks. Who would be involved in the process? How could the risks be reduced?