5 Reasons to Maintain a Clean Workspace
1. Knowing where things are keeps us on top of our game.
Whether you work at a desk or a work bench, having a good organization system helps you to keep on top of your game. Nothing is more of a time suck then aimlessly wandering around looking for a tool. In fact, in most cases extra movement is one of the top forms of waste found in manufacturing operations.
2. Less Stress.
Less mess equals less stress. Having room to work brings everyone’s stress levels down and helps give you the space you need to maintain a clean and organized work area. A clean workplace with ordered surfaces and properly labelled items can actually help de-stress your workday, by making things simpler and easy to find.
3. It keeps you on task.
A study by Princeton University found that a messy work area makes it harder for people to focus on tasks. Interestingly, the researchers discovered that the visual cortex is easily overwhelmed by irrelevant objects, making it difficult to focus and complete tasks efficiently. A clean workspace eliminates unnecessary distractions and helps employees concentrate on the task at hand.
4. It’s difficult to prioritize our projects if we’re not organized.
If you have a hard time finding items or you can’t seem to remember where you last put something, more times than not your space is not clean. You’ll be saving time and making the most of your workday by starting with a clean environment.
5. Better Quality.
When employees give their full focus to a task, they also perform better quality work. Keeping a clean and tidy workspace is vital for increasing the overall quality of work being produced.
Summary
Like all great tradesmen know, there’s a place for every tool in the shed. Similarly, your desk and workspace will function better with a dedicated space for everything you need. Paperwork, tooling, tools, parts, files, folders, and materials should all have a place to live. A neat, orderly space promotes quality & productivity through ease of use and a balanced approach to work and living. In a calm and organized environment, employees are healthier, less stressed, and are better able to focus on their work. Cleanliness and organization are often a cultural shift that requires new expectations, new awareness, new training, and accountability.
It is for these reasons that we bake this topic into our Foundational Training Courses, making employees aware of their responsibility in developing and maintaining a clean and organized work environment. If you find your shop a bit on the messy side and could benefit from turning the corner, contact us today to see how our employee training programs can do the heavy lifting for you.
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