Free workstation standard template
A workstation standard shows how a workstation looks when it is in order. Here are six rules for a good one, a printable template and a real example.
Six rules for a good standard
- Start with a photo. Photograph the workstation when it is in order. The photo is the standard; the text only explains it.
- Keep it short. Three to six sentences. If it needs a page, the workstation layout is too complicated.
- Say where things go. Top, middle, bottom, left, right. Name the places, not the habits.
- Say what to do after use. Put back, clean, report broken tools. That is where standards usually fail.
- Name an owner. One person keeps the standard up to date. Write their name on it.
- Date it. When the workstation changes, the standard changes. An old date means it needs checking.
Template
| Workstation | Code: ________ Name: ______________________ |
|---|---|
| Owner | ______________________ Date: ____________ |
| Photo of the workstation in order | |
| How it should look | |
| After use | |
| Checked in audits | 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. |
Example from a real shop floor
How it should look. Every tool and consumable has a place on the board under its own yellow label. Top: wrenches and sockets in size order, pliers and hammers. Middle: cordless drills, thread lockers and cleaning supplies in their holders. Bottom: extension cord and welding clamps.
After use. Take only what the job needs and put it back straight after use. A broken or banned tool is marked with the matching tape and handed to the supervisor. At the end of the shift the board, bench and floor are clean.
Checked in audits. Only labelled tools on the board · every tool in its place · wrenches in size order · board and floor clean · broken items taped and removed · last audit's findings fixed.
Skip the printer
Printed standards go out of date the day something changes. In 5Sense, a standard is a photo and a sentence that workers see by scanning a QR code, and you change it in a minute.