You Can't Manage What You Don't Measure!
Q:What is Five S?
A: 5-S was initially made famous by the Toyota Corporation. The late
Dr. Shigeo Shingo was the main promoter of this concept within TPS
(Toyota Production Systems). By starting with the premise that
quality often circles back to lack of organization and neatness, it
is not such a difficult transition to believing that opportunity in
lean materials management lies also in the 5-S concepts.
Q:How Can I certify my shop/business as
"Green"?
A: For Automotive Repair Shops we recommend My Green Garage.
(Click Here)
Q: What is Six Sigma?
A:Six Sigma is a business management strategy originally developed
by Motorola, USA in 1986. As of 2010, it is widely used in many
sectors of industry, although its use is not without controversy.
Six Sigma seeks to improve the quality of process outputs by
identifying and removing the causes of defects (errors) and
minimizing variability in manufacturing and business processes. It
uses a set of quality management methods, including statistical
methods, and creates a special infrastructure of people within the
organization ("Black Belts", "Green Belts", etc.) who are experts in
these methods. Each Six Sigma project carried out within an
organization follows a defined sequence of steps and has quantified
financial targets (cost reduction or profit increase).
The term Six Sigma originated from terminology associated with
manufacturing, specifically terms associated with statistical
modeling of manufacturing processes. The maturity of a manufacturing
process can be described by a sigma rating indicating its yield, or
the percentage of defect-free products it creates. A six sigma
process is one in which 99.99966% of the products manufactured are
statistically expected to be free of defects (3.4 defects per
million). Motorola set a goal of "six sigma" for all of its
manufacturing operations, and this goal became a byword for the
management and engineering practices used to achieve it.
Like its predecessors, Six Sigma doctrine asserts that:
◦Continuous efforts to achieve stable and predictable process
results (i.e., reduce process variation) are of vital importance to
business success.
◦Manufacturing and business processes have characteristics that can
be measured, analyzed, improved and controlled.
◦Achieving sustained quality improvement requires commitment from
the entire organization, particularly from top-level management.
Features that set Six Sigma apart from previous quality improvement
initiatives include:
◦A clear focus on achieving measurable and quantifiable financial
returns from any Six Sigma project.
◦An increased emphasis on strong and passionate management
leadership and support.
◦A special infrastructure of "Champions," "Master Black Belts,"
"Black Belts," "Green Belts", etc. to lead and implement the Six
Sigma approach.
◦A clear commitment to making decisions on the basis of verifiable
data, rather than assumptions and guesswork.
Q: What is Lean Production?
A: Lean manufacturing or lean production, often simply, "Lean," is a
production practice that considers the expenditure of resources for
any goal other than the creation of value for the end customer to be
wasteful, and thus a target for elimination. Working from the
perspective of the customer who consumes a product or service,
"value" is defined as any action or process that a customer would be
willing to pay for. Basically, lean is centered on preserving value
with less work. Lean manufacturing is a generic process management
philosophy derived mostly from the Toyota Production System (TPS)
(hence the term Toyotism is also prevalent) and identified as "Lean"
only in the 1990s. It is renowned for its focus on reduction of the
original Toyota seven wastes to improve overall customer value, but
there are varying perspectives on how this is best achieved. The
steady growth of Toyota, from a small company to the world's largest
automaker, has focused attention on how it has achieved this.
Q: What can I do to start a safety
program in my shop?
A: One quick and easy step is to have regular "Tailgate" safety
meetings. These are relatively short (15-20 minutes) topics. Our
Lean Management team can provide you with over a years worth of
meetings, with hand-outs sign-in sheets.
Q:What OSHA regulations are body shops
subject to?
A:It would be impossible to list every regulation (Federal, State
and Local) Here is a listing of the most frequently cited standards
by Federal OSHA for Automotive Repair Shops Industry Group (SIC code
753) is available.
General Industry (29 CFR 1910)
•1910 Subpart H, Hazardous materials◦1910.106, Flammable and
combustible liquids
◦1910.107, Spray finishing using flammable and combustible materials
•1910 Subpart I, Personal protective equipment ◦1910.132, General
requirements (Personal protective equipment) [related topic page]
◦1910.134, Respiratory protection [related topic page]
•1910 Subpart J, General environmental controls ◦1910.147, The
control of hazardous energy (lockout/tag out) [related topic page]
•1910 Subpart L, Fire protection [related topic page] ◦1910.157,
Portable fire extinguishers
•1910 Subpart O, Machinery and machine guarding [related topic
page]◦1910.215, Abrasive wheel machinery
•1910 Subpart S, Electrical ◦1910.303, General requirements
(Electrical) [related topic page]
◦1910.305, Wiring methods, components, and equipment for general use
•1910 Subpart Z, Toxic and hazardous substances [related topic
page]◦1910.1200, Hazard communication [related topic page]
Q:I am concerned about Isocyanates in my
shop, what do I need to know?
A: Isocyanates while very hazardous can be easily mitigated in the
body shop environment. You MUST train your employees on proper
handling and safety measures, including but not limited to
respirator selection, fit testing and maintenance.
Again OSHA
has some great information available (click here).
Q:What are all these terms on these MSD
sheets?
A: Below you will find an alphabetical listing of various terms used
in Material Safety Data Sheets. Print it out, pass it around the
shop and put a copy in your MSDS index book for future reference.
Remember, you can't learn too much about this subject.
ACGIH: Abbreviation for the
American Conference
of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, a private organization of
occupational safety and health professionals. The ACGIH recommends
occupational exposure limits for numerous toxic substances, and it
updates and revises its recommendations as more information becomes
available. ACGIH limits are not legally enforceable.
Air Contaminant: Means solid or liquid
particulate matter, dust, fumes, gas, and mist, smoke or vapor.
BAAQMD:Bay
Area Air Quality Management District. An agency created by
California state law to be responsible for management of air quality
in the San Francisco metropolitan area.
Carcinogenic: Capable of causing
cancer.
Ceiling Limit: The maximum amount of a
toxic substance allowed to be in workroom air at any time during the
day.
CERCLA:
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act
(the original Superfund law). Certain releases of over 700 chemicals
covered by this law require reporting to state emergency response
commission, local emergency planning committee, and the National
Response Center.
CFR:
Code of Federal Regulations.
CHEMTREC:
Chemical Transportation Emergency Center. A public service
created by the Chemical Manufacturers Association to provide 24 hour
information to persons responding to emergencies involving
chemicals.
Chemical Referral Center: A part of the
Chemical
Manufacturers Association which provides general, non-emergency
information about chemicals through an 800 toll-free telephone
number.
Combustible: Able to catch fire and
burn. Materials with flash point above 100°F (Closed Cup Method)
(D.O.T. regulation)
Concentration: The amount of one substance in
another substance.
Decomposition: Breakdown of a chemical.
Density: The mass of a substance per
unit volume. The density of a substance is usually compared to
water, which has a density of 1. Substances which float on water
have densities less than 1; substances which sink have densities
greater than l.
Dermal: By or through the skin.
DOT:U.S.
Department of Transportation.
EPA:Environmental
Protection Agency
EPCRA:
Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. A
free-standing law enacted to encourage and support emergency
planning efforts at the state and local level, and to provide
citizens and local governments with information concerning potential
chemical hazards present in their communities.
Explosive Limits: The amounts of vapor
which form explosive mixtures. Explosive limits are expressed as
LOWER EXPLOSIVE LIMITS and UPPER EXPLOSIVE LIMITS; these give the
range of vapor concentrations in air which will explode if heat is
added. Explosive limits are expressed as percentage of vapor in air.
Flammable: Catches on fire easily and
burns rapidly. Materials with flash point below 100°F.
Flammable Limits: Same as EXPLOSIVE
LMITS.
Flash Off Area: Space between the
application area and source of application.
Flash Point: The lowest temperature at
which the vapor of a substance will catch on fire, even momentarily,
if heat is applied. Provides an indication of how flammable a
substance is.
Fluid Ounce: Volumetric unit. 128 Fluid
ounces = one American gallon.
Gram: The unit of mass in the metric
system.
Health Hazard: Anything which can have
a harmful effect on health under the conditions in which it is used
or produced.
HMIS:
Hazardous Materials Identification System
Hydrocarbon: Any organic compound
consisting predominantly of carbon and hydrogen.
Ignition Temperature: The lowest
temperature at which a substance will catch on fire and continue to
burn. The lower the ignition temperature, the more likely the
substance is going to be a fire hazard.
Ingestion: Swallowing.
Kilogram: 1000 grams = 2.20 lb.
LC50: The concentration of a
substance in air that causes death in 50% of the animals exposed by
inhalation. A measure of acute toxicity.
LD50: The dose that causes
death in 50% of the animals exposed by swallowing a substance. A
measure of acute toxicity.
MG/KG: A way of expressing dose:
milligrams (mg) of a substance per kilogram (kg) of body weight.
Example: A 100 kg person given 10,000 mg of a substance would be
getting a dose of 100 mg/kg (10,000 mg/100 kg).
MG/M3: A way of expressing
the concentration of a substance in air: milligrams (mg) of
substance per cubic meter (m3) of air.
Milligram: One one-thousandth of a
gram.
NFPA:National
Fire Protection Association
NIOSH: Abbreviation for the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health,
U. S. Department
of Health and Human Services. NIOSH does research on
occupational safety and health questions and makes recommendations
to OSHA.
N.O.S.: Not otherwise specified. Used
for shipping hazardous materials if the material is not specifically
listed in the DOT Hazardous Materials Table.
Occupational Exposure Limits: Maximum
allowable concentrations of toxic substances in workroom air to
protect workers who are exposed to toxic substances over a working
lifetime.
ORM: Other Regulated Material. A
material which poses a risk in transportation, but does not meet the
definitions of any other hazard classes.
OSHA: Abbreviation for the
Occupational Safety
and Health Administration, U.S.
Department of Labor. OSHA develops and enforces federal
standards for occupational safety and health.
Oxidizer: A material which may cause
the ignition of combustible materials without the aid of an external
source of ignition or which, when mixed with combustible materials,
increases the rate of burning of these materials when the mixtures
are ignited.
PEL: Permissible Exposure Limit.
Polymerization: A chemical reaction in
which individual molecules combine to form a single large chemical
molecule (a polymer). Usually involves the release of a lot of
energy.
PPM: Parts per million. Generally used
to express small concentrations of on substance in a mixture.
Prime Coat: First film of coating
applied in a multiple coat operation.
Proposition 65:
California's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of
1986. Regulates certain chemicals known to the State to cause cancer
or reproductive toxicity.
RCRA:
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Act which regulates the
handling, storage, treatment, transportation and disposal of solid
waste.
Reactivity: The ability of a substance
to undergo change, usually by combining with another substance or by
breaking down. Certain conditions, such as heat and light, may cause
a substance to become more reactive. Highly reactive substances may
explode.
SARA:
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986. Title III
of SARA is known as the Emergency Planning and Community
Right-to-Know Act of 1986. Calls for facilities that store hazardous
materials to provide officials and citizens with data on the types,
amounts on hand, and specific locations of these chemicals.
SCAQMD:South
Coast Air Quality Management District. Agency created by
California state law to be responsible for management of air quality
in Los Angeles metropolitan area.
Sensitizer: A chemical that causes a
substantial proportion of exposed people or animals to develop an
allergic reaction in normal tissue after repeated exposure to the
chemical.
SIC:
Standard Industrial Classification.
Solubility: The amount of a substance
that can be dissolved in a solvent, usually water.
Solvent: Organic materials which are
liquid at standard conditions and which are used as dissolvers,
viscosity reducers or cleaning agents.
STEL: Short term exposure limit.
Suspect Carcinogen: A substance that
might cause cancer in humans or animals, but has not been proven to
do so.
TDG: Transportation of Dangerous Goods.
Teratogenic: Capable of causing birth
defects.
Thermal: Involving heat.
TLV: Abbreviation for Threshold Limit
Value. The average 8-hour occupational exposure limit. This means
that the actual exposure level may sometimes be higher, sometimes
lower, but the average must not exceed the TLV. TLVs are calculated
to be safe exposures for a working lifetime.
Top Coat: The final film of coating
applied in a multiple coat operation.
Toxic Substance: Any substance which
can cause acute or chronic injury to the human body, or which is
suspected of being able to cause disease or injury under some
conditions.
Vapor: The gas given off by a solid or
liquid substance at ordinary temperatures.
Vapor Density: The density of the gas
given off by a substance. It is usually compared with air, which has
a vapor density set a l. If the vapor is more dense than air
(greater than 1), it will sink to the ground; if it is less dense
than air (less than l), it will rise.
Viscosity: A relative measure of how
slowly a substance pours or flows. Very viscous substances, like
molasses, pour very slowly. Slightly viscous substances, like water,
pour and splash easily.
VOC: Volatile organic compound.
Volatile compounds of carbon.
Volatility: A measure of how quickly a
substance forms vapor at ordinary temperatures.
WHMIS: Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System. Canadian system for providing information to workers on the adverse effect of hazardous materials through cautionary labeling. Material Safety Data Sheets and employee training.
Q: Where can I get more information?
A:
Our Lean Material Management web site (safety page)
A:
The Federal OSHA web site (Auto Repair Shop page)
While we have a significant number of clients in the automotive aftermarket. We do works with other industries as well. Some of our other clients have been: