Golden Rules for TPM #02: Aim for Zero Accidents, Zero Defects, and Zero Failures

TPM Golden Rules

It is fair to say that you do not have a comfortable workplace if every day is filled with troubles. Let's eliminate problems, such as accidents, defects and breakdowns that threaten production activities from the workplace to ease cognitive overload and mental pressure.

What is a Comfortable Workplace?

Problems (losses) that threaten daily production activities are "accidents, defects, and breakdowns. A workplace where employees feel anxiety that they may not be able to produce as planned due to frequent occurrence of these problems, or that they may be injured, or that they feel pressure due to defects, breakdowns, or short stoppages is not a good place to work. The goal of creating a "comfortable workplace" is basically to achieve "zero accidents, zero defects, and zero breakdowns" (zero losses), a state in which problems in production activities are eliminated.

Zero Loss Is Achieved Through: "Activities to Reduce + Activities to Prevent"

To reduce losses to zero, two types of activities are necessary, activities to reduce losses and activities to prevent losses. Activities to reduce losses are to logically pursue the factors that cause defects and failures that have already occurred, and restore and improve them. However, this is only a reactive measure, and by itself will not reduce losses to zero. What is important here are activities to prevent losses. Why do accidents, defects, and failures occur?　It is because the seeds of problems (defects) are left unaddressed at the work site. The principle of the "Zero Loss" practice is to prevent problems before their occurrence by "bringing them to the surface" (taking action to recognize problems before they occur) through management that involves all five senses and visualization. "Zero accidents, zero defects, and zero breakdowns" can be achieved by finding hazards and concerning elements for hidden sources of accidents and possible equipment troubles that cause defects and machine failures in the workplace before they actually occur, and by maintaining and managing a state in which they are thoroughly eliminated.

It Is Possible to Achieve Zero Accidents, Zero Defects, and Zero Breakdowns

The concept of reducing losses to zero is to draw a picture of the situation as it should be and to realize it. In other words, it is important to have the challenging spirit of "pursuing the limit" and the belief that "zero can be absolutely achieved".