When Lean Production Methods Kill Workers

This presentation will describe two case studies of workplace fatality investigations that involved lean production methods that contributed to the incidents. Global manufacturing and other commercial businesses are increasingly using “lean” systems to improve workplace efficiency and reduce the costs of production or delivering services to the public. This can involve changing the means of production and reducing the number of staff involved in delivering services. Much of the improved efficiency in the manufacturing sector has been led by a system of efficiency teams that review production processes and recommend modifications. These teams are commonly known as “Kaizen Teams” under various production models, originating from Japanese auto manufacturing processes. The author investigated two worker fatalities that involved causation factors resulting from recommendations of lean production teams. This presentation will present the written reports of these investigations with the recommendations made to prevent these hazards in the future.