How shadow boards cast efficiency in the workplace
Cleaning aids haphazardly stuffed in corners, tools and equipment standing around or lying all over the place, and disorganised boxes and drawers jumbled with a mishmash of everything screams chaos. A workplace like this not only looks untidy and unprofessional, it also hobbles efficiency and productivity.
Studies found that the majority of non-conformance issues can be laid at the feet of poor housekeeping in the workplace. Hard to believe, but the proper storage of something as elementary as a broom or a brush leads to better overall efficiency in any industry, whether it be an office, warehouse, research laboratory, or manufacturing plant.
Shadow boards
A designated shadow board is the cornerstone of good organisation and promotes the 5S pillars of lean processes. These principles are:
- Sort – keep things together that go together.
- Set in order – arrange and store things properly.
- Shine – keep things clean and tidy.
- Standardise – use the best practices to do things.
- Sustain – keep up the good work.
Sorting through a multitude of tools and small components can seem like a herculean task. Shadow boards help you achieve and keep the order you need, and also help you to speed this job along. They offer a dedicated place for things such as cleaning aids, emergency equipment and even barriers.
How shadow boards benefit your workplace
When using shadow boards to store cleaning equipment, tools, and other workplace specifics, you do more than just keep things shipshape. These simple yet effective boards inform, save space, and increase productivity.
Safety: Minimising costly incidents and non-compliance
Safety should top your priority list as the Health and Safety at Work Act etc 1974 places a duty on all employers to protect employees and others so far as is reasonably practicable, this means that there is balance between risk and costs, the greater the risk the more you must do. Shadow boards reduce trip and fall hazards as things are properly stored and not lying about.
They also create central points for safety equipment. For example, a shadow board for a fire extinguisher next to a high-risk laboratory increases safety by offering quick access to the equipment in case of a fire.
Equipment longevity
Storing equipment on shadow boards prevents unnecessary damage. This makes it last longer and curbs your maintenance and replacement costs.
Productivity
Employees know exactly where things are when you use shadow boards. They make it easy to locate and use equipment without wasting time moving from one point to the next looking for things.
When something is being used, an empty shadow board lets a person know something is not available at that time. This helps with planning and moving on to the next task without wasting time, increasing overall productivity.
Audits and compliance
It is easy to discover missing or broken items when using shadow boards. This means you can replace things quickly and ensure everything is in working order to improve your audit scores and ensure safety compliance.
Clear communication
As shadow boards carry clear outlines of the objects they organise and store, workers intuitively know what goes where to streamline good housekeeping.
Shadow boards are big on space
Shadow boards free up space as they are usually attached to walls. This gives people room to move and work, improving efficiency.
Shadow boards lift workplace morale
When you create a tidy, professional environment and use shadow boards to show you care about safety and want to ease the work processes of employees, it lifts the morale. People who are happy in the workplace are more productive.