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Walking the walk towards an efficient workplace

Manufacturers and miners, challenged by the rising cost of raw material and disposal, new regulatory pressures, and changing customer preferences, are seeking ways to minimise their waste streams and maximise their cost savings. Making simple but effective changes to the way industrial supplies and personal protective equipment are managed in the workplace can deliver real improvements in efficiency and safety on the work floor.

According to the Department of the Environment’s National Waste Reporting, approximately 12.5 million tonnes of commercial and industrial waste is generated every year in Australia alone1.

It has become increasingly clear that efficient use of supplies can effectively reduce wastage, delivering true sustainability in the form of economic, environmental and social benefits2. In fact, Sustainability Victoria reports most Australian workplaces can cut their contribution to landfill waste by up to 90% with a bit of effort3.

One area where smart application of knowledge and resources can immediately improve work processes and cut expenditure associated with material supply and disposal is in the areas of industrial consumables and personal protective equipment (PPE).

By applying Lean approaches to these areas, factories and work sites can drastically cut down on wastage, while reducing safety hazards, accelerating work processes, and lowering defects and inventories.

Recognising these possibilities, Kimberly-Clark Professional* (KCP) is now offering an innovative program called Exceptional Workplaces*, which takes a holistic approach to the issue of managing industrial consumables and PPE. It combines Lean principles with industry best services, KCP’s experiences, on-site evaluations, and customised product solutions.

The program will help manufacturers, factories, process plants and other workplaces identify hidden areas of inefficiencies in their day to day operations, and improve both process efficiency and safety in a sustainable and practical manner that will yield measurable short term and long term results.

Over the years, Lean improvement efforts have streamlined many factories and work sites. But there are still many improvements to be made in the areas surrounding the sourcing, management and use of industrial supplies.

Consider the amount of paint, solvent or other chemicals used at the workplace. Using excessive amounts can result in various problems:

• The potential for run-offs to contaminate the environment, or other parts of the site

• Having to source and store more supplies in inventory

• Increased evaporation of chemicals, which can create flammable fumes, inhalation hazards and skin problems

• Disposal costs associated with toxic and/or volatile liquids

Another common problem is the use of rags for cleaning and wiping, which leads to over-application, wastage, spillage, and contamination of the surface of products and machines with lint.

In both cases, simply replacing the traditional open-bucket-and-rags approach with single-use, pre-soaked Kimberley-Clark* WYPALL* wipes is one fast way to reduce disposal costs, speed up the work, eliminate lint contamination, and ensure just the right amount of solvent is delivered to the correct areas.

With a few changes in the way you approach industrial supplies and PPE, it’s possible to make a real difference, not just in the operational expenses associated with consumables, but also safety, productivity and product quality.

Introduction

Why focus on industrial supplies and PPE?

Accidents are also an efficiency issue, leading to downtime, time off work, loss of expertise, damaged equipment, lost product and more

According to KCP, it’s important to see that safety issues at the workplace are linked to waste.

A major part of maintaining a safe workplace is to keep it clean, standardised and predictable: the proper use of supplies and PPE are a big part of this. For example, placing supplies closer to the work zone can help reduce the risk of over-reaching, slip hazard and trip hazards.

Additionally, many solvents used in industrial processes release volatile organic compounds or fumes which are flammable, poisonous to humans, or cause respiratory or skin conditions. Minimising their use by replacing them with Kimberley-Clark* WYPALL* wipes has obvious links to worker safety.

The KCP Efficient Workplace Program also ensures the PPE is suited to the task, and worn properly. For example, it is important to make sure the protective equipment is properly fitted, comfortable and allow enough freedom of movement and dexterity, so workers are not tempted to remove them.

Where there are inevitable circumstances that the removal of PPE cannot be avoided, a combination of providing Kimberly-Clark* WYPALL* wipes as well as the suitable PPE can help to eliminate the chances of exposure to potential compounds.

Lean identifies eight types of waste that preventorganisations from delivering value:

1. Transportation: where there is an unnecessary amount of movement of material, product or information. This can be an issue associated with inefficient sourcing, on-site distribution and disposal of supplies and PPE materials.

2. Inventory: building excess of standard levels of stock. Industrial supplies that are of the wrong type for the job at hand, or are wasted, require larger inventories.

3. Motion: non-value added movement, such as workers having to stop a task in order to get supplies. This usually happens when supplies, dispensers and equipment are stored at inconvenient locations.

4. Waiting: machine breakdowns or suspension of work due to having to wait for another process, or for a component to be supplied. This can occur

if the supply chain of industrial consumables is unreliable, resulting in critical supplies running out.

5. Over-processing: doing more work on a piece than required. For example, using an open bucket and cloth to apply chemicals, solvents or paint can result in inefficient use of the supplies.

6. Over-production: producing more product or information than needed, or before they are needed.

7. Defects: extra costs from having to re-work because the produced parts do not meet specifications. Lint contamination from rags, for example, could cause defects in later painting stages

8. Knowledge: failing to take advantage of everyone’s skills and talents, such as not properly consulting with front line staff when considering efficiency improvements.

Health and safety also a waste issue

Eight types of waste and how they relate to industrial supplies and PPE

The Kimberly-Clark Professional* Exceptional Workplaces* program consists of three main steps.

Consultants from KCP start by walking through the site in order to identify hazards and waste, before using Lean problem-solving fundamentals to propose solutions that address the waste and hazards, including product changes, standard work recommendations, etc. They will then assist with implementing agreed-upon changes and making sure they “stick”.

Based on the Lean concept of “Go see”, the first step in the KCP Exceptional Workplaces* Process involves going out on to the factory to observe the lifecycle of consumables used, from selection to storage to use and disposal. KCP’s consultants bring with them a fresh perspective, and will look out for various issues, such as:

• How people clean up after themselves: are they continuously tidying the work environment, or at the end of the process or shift?

• What supplies do they use for cleaning, and how do they use them?

• Are there aspects of the protective equipment which are considered cumbersome? For example, safety glasses which are prone to fogging up? Are workers using PPE which is sized too big or too small, resulting in work obstruction and increased trip hazard?

• Are workers using the right type of PPE? For example, are they using the correct type of glove for the task and the material they are coming into contact with?

• Do people take off parts of their PPE, such as gloves and glasses, for certain tasks?

• Where solvents and lubricants are involved, are workers using open buckets and rags to apply them?

• How quickly or easily can workers dispose of used items?

At its heart, the Lean approach is about enabling efficiency by empowering people to work in an optimal manner. The KCP Exceptional Workplaces* Program ensures workers are on board and involved in trials, evaluations and reviews.

KCP consultants will pay particular attention to issues of “workarounds”, where people bypass fixed processes, take off parts of their PPE, or otherwise deviate from procedure.

For example, workers may take off their safety gloves if they get in the way of operating a piece of machinery, or turning the pages of a manual, even if doing so puts them at risk of injury.

Instead of blaming workers, the consultative process tries to understand the root causes for these workarounds. This can be done by asking at least four “whys”, questioning each reason or excuse for the issue at hand. This provides a good way to break down all the factors that contribute to an issue.

In most cases, workers who circumvent documented processes are doing so to make their jobs easier. KCP consultants will seek to make improvements so workers have the correct supplies and PPE to ensure their safety and efficiency, while resolving the issue of inconvenience so there is no need for them to work around the process.

The actual implementation of the change will involve briefing both permanent and temporary workers on the changes, and training them in the use of new supplies and safety equipment. Visual guides in the workplace, such as signs, posters and video terminals, can also remind workers of the proper processes.

The Exceptional Workplaces* Process

Step 1: The Walk Step 2: Solve

The Kimberly-Clark Professional* Exceptional Workplaces* program creates measureable improvements in cost, safety, productivity and quality.

In the final step, KCP consultants will practice continuous improvement by following up to make sure the solutions are having the desired impact, and also look into applying the process to other areas of your facility.

KCP has helped hundreds of manufacturers in the automotive, aerospace, metal and other sectors look at their supplies and PPE in a new way, improving their efficiency, quality and safety in measurable ways.

The secret behind KCP’s success in the Exceptional Workplaces* program has to do with both the site-specific custom approach that its consultants take, and the fact that it is based on the company’s own experience in adopting its own methodology.

As specialists in industrial supply management, KCP looks at the entire lifecycle of the supplies you use,

including product choice, storage, dispensing, use and disposal. Then, using its expertise and experience, it finds simple ways to eliminate wastes and hazards.

Kimberley-Clark has applied these same principles to its own facilities: between 2011 and 2012 it eliminated 1,404,641 hours of wasted hours, and delivered a total value of US$2.2 billion in revenue, working capital and cost savings.

Having already “walked the walk”, KCP is in a good position to also help you achieve best practice, hazard reduction and world-class efficiency.

Step 3: Evaluation and extension

Conclusion: the KCP advantage

Kimberly-Clark Professional* puts a lot of effort into research and development to make sure the products are being made for the right job. We work with many different industries to ensure we are up with the latest innovations for the systems they need.

REFERENCES

1 http://www.environment.gov.au/system/files/resources/91b2180c-b805-44c5-adf7-adbf27a2847e/files/commercial-industrial-waste.pdf

2 p.1, Waste Management, Manufacturing & Industrial:Waste Minimization. https://www.wm.com/sustainability-services/documents/ insights/Waste%20Minimization%20Insight.pdf

3 p.3, Sustainability Victoria, Recycling And Reusing In Your Workplace, http://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/~/media/resources/ documents/publications%20and%20research/knowledge%20archive/resource%20smart%20government%20program/archive%20rs%20 recycling%20and%20reusing%20in%20your%20workplace%20jun%202008.pdf

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