5S Checklist for Administrative and Industrial Audits

What a good 5S audit covers

A good 5S audit touches each pillar in turn and looks for physical conditions, records and behaviour together. Across the five sections, this checklist examines: - **Sort (Seiri):** unnecessary or excessive machines, equipment, tools, chairs, utensils, office materials, outdated documents and obsolete stock, plus obstruction of corridors, fire extinguisher areas, circulation zones and stairways, and whether there are designated areas for disposal, pre-disposal and items reserved for repair. - **Set in Order (Seiton):** whether locations for machines, equipment, products, packaging materials, stock, shelves, cabinets and workbenches are organised and identified, whether corridors and other circulation areas are demarcated, and whether items are arranged by frequency of use. - **Shine (Seiso):** freedom from grease, dust and dirt on machines, equipment, tables, cabinets, floors and walls; a designated cleaning supplies area with adequate materials; and the existence of cleaning procedures and cleaning records. - **Standardize (Seiketsu):** procedures, work routines and records; the adequacy of electrical, lighting, sanitary and hydraulic installations; visible posting of procedures; understanding and adherence among employees; periodic health exams; proper use of PPE; ergonomic working conditions; and Collective Protection Equipment such as safety showers, eyewash stations and drinking fountains. - **Sustain (Shitsuke):** 5S training records, monthly leader evaluations, monitoring of the program, use of evaluation results as a driver of training, continuous improvement and corrective action plans, publication of audit results, and employee understanding of the company and its activities.

Why it matters

5S helps you standardise how work areas are organised, kept clean and used consistently, and it supports continuous improvement and the tracking of action plans. Because the checklist records whether procedures, records, training and evaluations are in place, it points to gaps that would otherwise go unnoticed, and it gives you a basis for following progress over successive audits.

Carrying out the audit

Record the inspection date, the location and who prepared it, then answer the 27 audit questions as Yes, No or N/A, noting anything that needs correction. It is usually easiest to work through the five pillars in order, so that observations on organisation are made before cleaning conditions, and both are made before you review the supporting records and routines. Close the inspection by signing off, recording the finish time and entering the actual start and end dates.

Using the results

Answers of No are the starting point for your action plan. The Sustain section specifically asks whether evaluation results are used as a source of training, continuous improvement and corrective action, and whether results are published in the area, so the audit is designed to feed a visible cycle of improvement rather than a one-off score. Repeating the checklist at regular intervals lets you compare results and track whether the action plan is having an effect.

Frequently Asked Questions

The 5S method is a workplace organisation approach built around five pillars: Seiri (Sort), Seiton (Set in Order), Seiso (Shine), Seiketsu (Standardize/Safety), and Shitsuke (Sustain). This checklist turns each pillar into a small set of yes/no questions so that an audit covers the whole method rather than only housekeeping.

Each of the 27 audit questions is answered Yes, No or N/A. Anything answered No is evidence of a gap, and the questions on the SHITSUKE pillar ask you to check that evaluation results are turned into training, continuous improvement and corrective action plans, so the audit produces follow-up work rather than a score alone.

It is written for both environments. The Seiso questions cover cleaning of machines, equipment, tables, cabinets, floors and walls, and note that industrial areas also include cleaning of reactors, filling machines and water tanks. Alongside that, the questions address office materials, documents, folders, cabinets and bulletin boards, so the same form can be used in manufacturing and administrative areas.

The SEIKETSU pillar checks that procedures and records exist, that electrical, lighting, sanitary and hydraulic installations are adequate, that procedures are posted visibly and accessible, that employees understand and follow them, that health exams, PPE and ergonomic conditions are in place, and that Collective Protection Equipment such as safety showers, eyewash stations and drinking fountains is provided.

The Seiton section checks that locations for machines, equipment, products, packaging materials, stock, shelves, cabinets and workbenches are organised and identified through labels, signs, floor markings and item lists, that corridors, fire extinguisher areas, circulation zones and stairways are demarcated, and that daily-use items are arranged by frequency of use.

Written by

Arne Reis

Founder

Process optimizer with 25 years of expertise, focused on operational excellence in quality, maintenance, EHS, and commissioning. Emphasizes innovative solutions and top-quality standards.

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