Applying workplace organisation techniques
Overview
This standard covers the competences required to apply a systemic approach to continuously making improvements to the workplace organisation. It involves co-ordinating and applying the principles and techniques of workplace organisation. You will need to consider the work area and its activity, to determine where information, materials, tools and/or equipment are missing or require a new location and what improvements to the area or activity could be made. You will be expected to produce standard operating procedures and visual controls for the work area, which could cover such things as producing shadow boards to standardise the storage and location of area equipment, colour coding of equipment, cleaning and maintenance of equipment, production operations, and health and safety. The overall objective of the activity will be to improve the condition of the working environment and in doing so establish a new improved area score or indicator.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the activities undertaken, and to report any problems that you cannot solve, or that are outside your responsibility, to the relevant authority. You will be expected to take full responsibility for your own actions within the activity, and for the quality and accuracy of the work you carry out.
Your underpinning knowledge will provide a good understanding of the workplace organisation activity and the area in which you are working, and will provide an informed approach to the techniques and procedures used. You will need to understand the principles of workplace organisation and their application, in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities to the required criteria.
Applying safe working practices will be a key issue throughout.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
- co-ordinate and apply the process of workplace organisation within the chosen work area, and establish the area score
- identify and confirm where information, resources or equipment is missing or is in surplus, and what improvements can be made
- produce changes to standard operation procedures (SOPs), and visual controls in accordance with organisational requirements
- make improvements to the workplace organisation and establish and communicate the new improved area score or indicator
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- how to work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations and guidelines
- the factors to be considered when selecting a work area for an activity (to include: cleanliness, health and safety, product quality, equipment and organisation)
- the procedure used to identify and address surplus or missing equipment or resources
- how to arrange and label the necessary resources or equipment for rapid identification and access
- how to correlate information to create or update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) or other approved documentation
- how to evaluate and prioritise the improvements required for the workplace
- how to score and audit the workplace organisation
- the techniques required to communicate information using visual control systems
- the extent of your own authority, and to whom you should report in the event of problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
- Produce changes to standard operating procedures which cover three of the following:
- cleaning of equipment/work area
- maintenance of equipment
- health and safety
- process procedures
- work operations
- working processes
- quality systems
- regulatory compliance system
- other specific areas
- Produce changes to visual controls, which cover three of the following:
- producing shadow boards or an alternative to standardise the storage and location of area resources and/or equipment
- colour coding
- line status systems (such as line, process system)
- skills matrix
- performance measures
- process control boards
- improvement systems
- planning systems
- other specific items