Searching for the right torque wrench while a machine stands idle costs money. Tripping over an air hose stretched across a walkway risks far more. The 5S method tackles both problems at once: in five consecutive steps it creates a working environment in which every tool has a fixed place, routes stay clear and deviations are spotted immediately. This guide shows workshop and production managers how to introduce 5S systematically – and why the method is also an effective occupational safety tool.
What is the 5S method?
The German REFA association defines 5S as "a systematic approach intended to help organise one's own working environment in such a structured way that non-value-adding activities are minimised". Put simply: everything that keeps employees from actual work – searching, rearranging, asking around, stepping over obstacles – is eliminated step by step.
The method originates in Japan and is an integral part of Kaizen and lean management. In the Toyota environment, 5S also underpins Total Productive Maintenance (TPM): only at a clean, orderly workstation can wear, leaks and emerging faults be detected early. According to REFA, the benefits are clear:
- Less waste – superfluous stock, walking distances and handling steps disappear
- More transparency and safety – deviations and hazard points stand out immediately
- Minimised search times – every tool has a fixed, visible place
- Easier handovers to stand-ins – colleagues find their way around without a briefing
Crucially, 5S is a cyclical process: the five steps are not worked through once and ticked off, but repeated again and again and continuously refined.
The 5 steps in detail
Seiri — Sort
In the first step (Seiri = select/sort out), you separate the necessary from the superfluous. Everything lying at the workstation is questioned: is this tool needed here? How often? Defective equipment, duplicate stock, obsolete fixtures and private clutter leave the workplace. Items that are rarely used move to a central store. The result: only what genuinely supports the work stays within reach.
Seiton — Set in order
Seiton means systematising: every remaining tool and material is given a fixed, labelled location – following the principle of "a place for everything, and everything in its place". Frequently used tools go into the grab zone, heavy parts to an ergonomic height. Shadow boards on perforated panels have proven their worth: the tool's outline is marked at its storage position, so anyone can see at a glance what is missing or hung incorrectly.
Seiso — Shine
Seiso means cleaning – as a thorough clean with an inspection function. Whoever cleans the machine, workbench and floor inspects them at the same time: oil traces reveal leaks, swarf in unusual places points to wear, loose cables to hazards. Cleaning thus becomes inspection. Define who cleans which area at what interval, and keep the cleaning materials right where they are used.
Seiketsu — Standardise
Seiketsu means standardising: the results of the first three steps become binding rules. Photo documentation of the target state, labelling plans, cleaning schedules and uniform signage ensure that order does not depend on the commitment of individuals. A good standard is so unambiguous that even a stand-in or a new employee can use and leave the workstation correctly without asking questions.
Shitsuke — Sustain
Shitsuke means practising self-discipline: the standards are lived day to day and continuously improved. That only works if managers lead by example, address deviations and take employees' improvement suggestions seriously. Regular audits (see below) make the state of order measurable. Without this fifth step, every workshop slips back to its old state within weeks – with it, 5S becomes a lasting cycle.
5S is occupational safety
Order is not an end in itself. A substantial share of workplace accidents is directly attributable to poor housekeeping and blocked routes – precisely the points 5S addresses.
Slip, trip and fall accidents: almost one in four workplace accidents
The German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) statistics for 2024 record 164,912 reportable workplace accidents caused by slipping, tripping, twisting an ankle or falling (so-called STF accidents). That equals 24.1% of all workplace accidents during work activities – almost one in four. In total, the DGUV registered 754,660 reportable workplace accidents in 2024 (−3.7% compared with 2023), a rate of around 17.3 accidents per 1,000 full-time worker equivalents. Notably, 45,700 accidents happened on stairs and 19,636 on ladders – mostly trip or fall accidents; 24.6% of stair accidents occurred in the industrial and commercial sector. Material lying around, obstructed routes and dirty floors are typical triggers – exactly what Seiri, Seiton and Seiso systematically eliminate.
The legal framework: ArbStättV and ASR
What 5S delivers organisationally, German law demands anyway. Section 4(1) of the Workplace Ordinance (ArbStättV) stipulates: "The employer must maintain the workplace and ensure that identified defects are remedied without delay." Under Section 4(4) ArbStättV, traffic routes, escape routes and emergency exits must be kept clear at all times. The Technical Rules for Workplaces make this concrete: hazard points receive yellow-and-black hazard marking in accordance with ASR A1.3; for traffic routes, ASR A1.8 specifies, among other things, an edge allowance of 0.50 m per side and a passing allowance of 0.40 m. Anyone implementing 5S consistently does not fulfil these duties as a side effect – they organise them permanently.
Putting 5S into practice
Do not start across the whole site, but with a pilot area – a single workbench or assembly cell, for example. There, the target state can be established quickly, photographed and used as a reference for the remaining areas. Three tools have proven particularly effective in practice.
Perforated panel systems and shadow boards
The shadow board is the most visible Seiton tool. It works especially flexibly with the Kappes RasterPlan/ABAX perforated panel system: the 10×10 mm square perforation on a 38 mm grid accepts holders that click in without tools and can be repositioned at any time. If the tool assortment changes, the holder simply moves with it – no drilling, no new panel. You will find suitable systems in the ABAX Guard tool storage range; combined with sturdy workbenches, this creates a workstation where every part has its documented place. For Seiso, take a look at the ABAX Clean products, which organise cleaning materials directly at the workstation.
Red tag campaign
For Seiri, the red tag campaign has proven its worth: every item whose usefulness is unclear receives a red tag with the date, location found and assumed purpose. All tagged items go into a designated quarantine zone. If an item is needed within a defined period – four weeks, for instance – it returns with a defined storage location. If it remains unused, it is put into storage, sold or disposed of. Actual demand decides, not gut feeling.
Floor marking and designated spaces
Marked areas make order visible on the shop floor: coloured lines separate traffic routes from storage and working zones, and outline markings define parking spaces for pallet trucks, waste bins and mesh boxes. Follow the requirements of ASR A1.8 for route widths and mark hazard points yellow and black in accordance with ASR A1.3. In the adjoining warehouse, transparency also includes load-capacity signage: under DGUV Information 208-061 (section 4.2.7.1), load notices are required from a shelf load of 200 kg or a bay load of 1,000 kg. Our guide Setting up a workshop shows how to structure workstations from the ground up.
The 5S audit: maintaining standards
Shitsuke needs structure. A 5S audit checks at a fixed interval – monthly, for example – against a checklist for each step: are only needed items in place? Do the shadow boards' actual and target states match? Are routes clear, markings intact and cleaning schedules followed? Score each point on a simple scale, visualise the result on the team board and agree a concrete action for every deviation, with an owner and a deadline. Rotating auditors from other areas bring the necessary fresh perspective. The idea of recurring inspections is also anchored in law: Section 14(2) of the German Industrial Safety Ordinance (BetrSichV) requires recurring inspections of work equipment, and DIN EN 15635 adds regular visual checks for racking installations. You will find the details in our guide to racking inspection in accordance with DIN EN 15635 – the racking counterpart to the 5S audit in the workshop.
From 5S to 6S: Safety
Many companies extend the method with a sixth S: Safety. Each of the five steps is explicitly supplemented with the safety perspective – during sorting, defective ladders and damaged lifting accessories are the first to go; during setting in order, escape routes and fire extinguishers are kept rigorously clear; during cleaning, leaks are reported as hazards rather than simply wiped away. With almost a quarter of all workplace accidents caused by slipping, tripping and falling, this extension is more than a buzzword: it links lean thinking with risk assessment and makes safety a fixed component of every audit.
FAQ
What do the 5 S stand for?
According to REFA, the five Japanese terms stand for: Seiri (select/sort out), Seiton (set in order/systematise), Seiso (shine/clean), Seiketsu (standardise) and Shitsuke (practise self-discipline). Together they form a cycle that keeps workplaces permanently organised.
What is the difference between 5S and 5A?
In substance, none – 5A is the German translation: Aussortieren (sort out), Aufräumen (tidy up), Arbeitsplatz säubern (clean the workplace), Anordnungen zum Standard machen (make arrangements the standard), Alle Punkte einhalten und verbessern (observe and improve all points). Both variants describe the same method.
What does 5S achieve?
According to REFA, 5S reduces waste, increases transparency and safety, minimises search times and makes handovers to stand-ins easier. Add to that the occupational safety effect: clear routes and fixed storage places work directly against trip and fall accidents – in 2024, no less than 24.1% of all workplace accidents. Planning to implement 5S with the right workshop equipment? Our workshop furniture range and our personal consultation service will help you plan.