Floor Marking Guide: 5S Methodology

Manufacturing warehouses are known to accommodate a frenzy of activity, from continuous forklift traffic to hordes of employees who work to get the job done. While this constant motion may get things done, it also increases the risk of injury. A simple tactic like floor marking can help eliminate common accidents, creating a safer and more efficient working environment.

Floor Markings & the Five Pillars

The 5S methodology breaks down into five distinct pillars. The best way to examine how floor markings can benefit your 5S efforts is to examine each pillar individually.

Sort

The Sort step focuses on removing waste and unneeded items from the workspace and ensuring that everything that's in the workspace is necessary for the task at hand. Floor markings prove valuable here for their ability to demarcate designated waste areas. It seems like a simple idea, but by creating a specific place for waste that is easily found and known to everyone in the area, waste will more easily find its way there, and workers will naturally begin to remove waste and deposit it in the waste area as it accumulates near them.

Set in Order

Perhaps the most obvious use of floor markings, the Set In Order step is focused on finding a proper place for everything in the workplace. That includes not only products, materials, and equipment, but also workers, forklifts, desks, pallets, and anything else that might be located in a facility. Floor markings work phenomenally well for this purpose. With minimal time and effort, you can create walkways for pedestrian traffic, lanes for forklifts to follow, and clearly outline each individual worker's workspaces, ensuring there's never any confusion over where work actually occurs.

One of the best uses for floor marking lies in creating a "home" for equipment. Let's say your facility, like many facilities, relies on pallet jacks to move heavy loads from one part of the building to another. While undeniably useful, those pallet jacks can be a hazard when not in use, as they're heavy, they have two large, semi-sharp prongs, wheels, and some are even motorized. Since a pallet jack is far too large and heavy to toss into a closet, the best way to store the jack is to create a rectangle of floor tape somewhere out of the way, specifically for that jack.

This rectangle will serve as a visual reminder that the jack should be stored when not in use, and as workers become familiar with the new "home" you've created, they will automatically return the jack to this location without a second thought.

Shine

The Shine pillar is concerned with cleaning, and while floor markings won't wash your windows, they can help make repeated cleaning efforts simpler and more effective by creating visual cues for where cleaning supplies are located and providing (literal) guidelines for each distinct area of the facility.

Standardize

The goal of the standardize pillar is simple: Take stock of all the progress you've made in the prior three pillars and find ways to ensure those gains don't dissipate. Those ways might include regularly scheduled 5S events, a chart detailing cleaning and organization duties and who is responsible for each, and frequent gemba walks to evaluate the ongoing status of the facility. Floor markings are very valuable here, as the vivid visual reminders they provide help to remind workers of a facility's organizational goals, while providing clear outlines for each of the facility's discrete areas. That makes it easier to divvy up tasks among multiple workers and ensures that they can tell where materials and equipment should go at a glance.

Sustain

The most important pillar, Sustain, aims to continue the progress you've made in the prior four steps well into the future. High-durability floor markings, such as Creative Safety Supply's own SafetyTac® line of vinyl marking tape, prove especially effective here, as their long lifespan and refusal to fade, crack, or flake off provide clear visual cues that you can rely on day after day.

Floor Marking Color Standards Guide

After implementing the 5S principles in your warehouse, you can apply floor markings based on the approved international color codes for identifying hazards and safety procedures.

Yellow Floor Marking Tape: Use the yellow floor marking tape, which signifies caution, around aisleways, pathways, and pedestrian walkways.

White Floor Marking Tape: For areas (workstations, carts, floor stand displays, racks, etc.) or machinery that are not color-coded, can be categorized by white tape.

Orange Floor Marking Tape: The inspection area where goods or finished products are held for inspection should be marked with orange tape.

Red Floor Marking Tape: Malfunctioning machinery or areas where defective products are stored can be identified with red marking tape.

Blue Floor Marking Tape: Typically, used to denote out-of-service equipment to raise alarm and caution.

Green Floor Marking Tape: Crucial for every warehouse floor. Use green floor marking tape to guide employees to the first-aid equipment and exits.

Red and White Striped Floor Marking Tape: Used to indicate areas where high-voltage equipment, firefighting, or safety equipment is kept.

Yellow and Black Striped Floor Marking Tape: After your 5S evaluation of your warehouse floor, use yellow and black marking tape to identify areas where employees are exposed to potential physical or health hazards.

What Areas To Mark On Your Warehouse Floor?

Some areas on your warehouse floor warrant more attention than others. By alerting your employees to these specific locations, you can help minimize the risk of injury and ensure a safe working environment.

• The location where the fire-fighting equipment is stored.
• Permanent passageways and aisles.
• Exit routes and first-aid kit placement areas should be labeled with green floor marking tape.
• Stairs should be marked with yellow and black marking tape.

5S Floor Marking Examples In A Facility

Your warehouse will benefit from combining these two efficient practices: the 5S methodology and floor markings. Here’s a visual look at how you can mark your warehouse layout with a 5S floor marking strategy:

Permanent Aisles and Passageways Should Be Marked

Location Of Fire Fighting Equipment Needs To Be Emphasized

Stairwells Where the Risk Of Falling Is Present Need to Be Marked

Design Your 5S Floor Marking Strategy With Creative Safety Supply

With the right colors in the right places, along with a tailored approach, you can ensure a safe and more organized working environment. At Creative Safety Supply, we offer long-lasting floor marking tape designed to withstand heavy foot traffic and constant motion. Besides quality products, we offer a range of educational resources, all aimed at helping you understand the best lean practices to build a more efficient and safe workplace.