First steps
- Report and analyse near misses.
- Fix the condition, not only the behaviour.
- Audit regularly.
How to measure success
Near misses reported and lost time injuries. Record the value before you start, so the effect of every action can be shown.
When these methods are the wrong choice
- 5 Why: Problems with many interacting causes; use data and DOE there.
- 5S: Process capability problems.
- Standard work / work instruction: Processes that are still changing every week.
- PFMEA / DFMEA: Fixing a problem that has already happened; update it after the 8D instead.
- Layered process audit (LPA): Finding root causes.
- Poka-yoke: Causes in the material or the supplier’s process.
The methods in one line
| Method | What it is |
|---|---|
| 5 Why | Ask “why” until you reach a cause you can act on, with one chain for occurrence and one for escape. |
| 5S | Workplace organisation: sort, set in order, shine, standardise, sustain. |
| Standard work / work instruction | The current best way to do a job, with key points and reasons, used for training and audits. |
| PFMEA / DFMEA | Analyses how a process or design can fail, rates the risk (AP) and defines prevention and detection. |
| Layered process audit (LPA) | Short daily checks of key process controls by several management layers. |
| Poka-yoke | Makes the error impossible or detects it immediately, so it does not depend on attention. |