Sort out your workshop the Japanese way

[JonnyW]

Thank you for posting that Jacob. It's like someone has reached into my head. Without knowing it, I have lived my life along the 5s principles - unconsciously most of the time. At work and home life and mostly my hobby life down in the sanctuary I call my garage/workshop where I have total control over my environment (nuff said).

I completely agree with Deema's comments regarding the common sense approach to working, and the principles of 5s would be something I would impose if I ran a factory or workshop due to some people lacking basic common sense. It's efficiency at a basic level.

I absolutely hate with a vengeance, having to constantly move things out the road to get to an item you need - especially if it's regularly needed. I can set my hands on any one of my tools with limited looking and no moving things out of the way - unless it's items I seldom use or rarely use (they occupy top shelves). It's basic common sense ergonomics that I think most professionals would apply in the working environment.

I just couldn't work or live in an untidy place - it would drive me absolutely off my head. Constantly having to look for things, moving the same thing out of the way aaaaahhh, it's annoying me just typing about it.

And as Deema said, why the hell wouldn't you not look after your tools/machinery/workplace. Why would you wait until they fail, until they seize etc etc.

Jonny

 

[monkeybiter]

At my place of work they introduced a system they called 'The 5 Cs '.
They stand for:-

Can't remember,

Big success.

 

[Jacob]

If you dig deep enough and far enough back in time, you'll find most commonly accepted "good practice" originated in the UK. We are quite simply the most inventive and improvement focused culture on earth. The one gene we seem to lack sometimes is the courage/foresight to back the good ideas we constantly come up with.
But 3rd party companies/Governments/countries have been nicking our good ideas for centuries and often taking them more seriously than we do ourselves.

I think it's the other way around.
What the Japs have had for thousands of years is a strong craft tradition; repetition, but endless refinement of the process and the product; very "improvement focussed".
So when it came to motorbikes and a lot of other products they copied extensively but were highly inventive in ways of making improvements - leaving the western competition standing.
I think it's their craft tradition which won, over the west's slightly scathing attitude towards crafts and excessive admiration for "originality" and "creativity".

 

[mikefab]

"The Japs"

Oh dear.

 

[Jacob]

"The Japs"

Oh dear.

Oh dear what?
"Japs" is short for Japanese. "Brits" is short for British. "Ozzy" is short for Australian, and so on.

 

[mikefab]

Wake up Jacob

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jap

http://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/is-the-word-Jap-derogatory

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/jap

 

[thick_mike]

It's one of those words Jacob, I was unaware of the derogatory nature of it a few years ago, but for instance in America it's like saying (forgive me) p*ki for people from Pakistan.

 

[deema]

Speaking as an old git, grumpy old man, coffin dodger, Tyke, Honky English Brit, (I include just the polite references I've heard used to describe me) I do feel people should feel comfortable and proud of their origins and heritage rather than getting excited about such stuff. Out if step with modern political correctness I know, but then again I'm also a supporter of hanging, corporal punishment and save the rod and spoil the child brigade. (A few good thrashing as a child did me the world of good and kept me on the straight and narrow)

 

[mikefab]

Deema. I'm not sure what point you are trying to make apart from demonstrating that you are totally out of touch with the modern world. And it's hardly a new 'PC' idea that the term 'Jap' is offensive. Read the links I have posted and you will see that it has been considered so since WW2.

I think that there is a world of difference between, for example, someone of African origin being proud of their heritage, and enjoying being called one of the many offensive names which exist for black people.

I have no idea what corporal punishment has to do with this debate but sorry to hear that you were beaten as a child.

 

[JonnyW]

Anyway. The 5s approach to the workshop.

Interesting.

Jonny

 

[Jacob]

Strictly speaking it's only a derogatory term if the intention is derogatory.
I have Japanese friends who agree and also use the term "Jap" as shorthand.

 

[bugbear]

Strictly speaking it's only a derogatory term if the intention is derogatory.

Not sure what you mean by "strictly" (citation?) but here's the law:

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/p_to_r/raci ... ous_crime/

The CPS uses this common definition to identify these cases and to monitor the decisions and outcomes.

The definition is:
"A racist incident is any incident which is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person."

BugBear

 

[Benchwayze]

Percieved? That leaves the door off its hinges, never mind wide open!

Am I not allowed to say I don't like someone's poetry, if the poet is in a minority group? Just because that person may take offence, and perceive my criticism as racist. That is complete pineapples.

And it's another way of saying free-speech is dead; let alone the legal principle of Mens Rea. ( http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Mens+Rea)

Fred Bloggs used my biro without permission ... I think he is a thief, so let him prove he isn't. Is that good law? I don't think so.

Now let's leave it alone; please?

 

[memzey]

Having read his posts on how he would welcome an immigrant family moving in next door to him in the Brexit thread*, I find it hard to believe that Jacob is a racist. Some might argue that the term itself is offensive but I don't think it was intended to be. I can recall a few years back when I had a number of friends over from Oz that they would regularly use the term "Paki" as shorthand of Pakistani (normally in the context of cricket) without the merest hint of racism because down under it wasn't viewed that way and everyone was happy with it. I almost felt bad telling them that it wasn't that way here but I did so to avoid them getting into any trouble.

*Not seeking to paint those with differing views on Brexit as racists.

 

[thick_mike]

First, let me say that I don't think anyone here is being racist in this thread.

Certain terms go in and out as being offensive or not as society changes around them. My grandad used the word 'darkies' to refer to people with brown skin, he wasn't racist. It's just the word that people used at the time to describe people with brown skin. When I was younger I was taught that 'coloured' was the polite descriptive word rather than 'black'. Now it is the other way round due to associations with Apartheid.

On the internet it is a global forum we are speaking to and different words are offensive in different countries. It's very difficult to be aware of every case. Jap is considered a very derogatory word in America, whereas it is much milder over here. I have seen Americans be really surprised that 'Paki' is very offensive over here.

The point is that context is the most appropriate thing to bear in mind. I try to keep up to date with what are and aren't appropriate adjectives as a courtesy to people. I would hate to accidentally offend someone.

 

[bugbear]

Having read his posts on how he would welcome an immigrant family moving in next door to him in the Brexit thread...

That assumes he was being sincere (our Jacob does like to try and provoke), and that the probability of such an event in a national park in Derbyshire with super-high house prices is at all likely. :lol:

BugBear

 

[Jacob]

..... Jap is considered a very derogatory word in America, whereas it is much milder over here. .....

WW2. The yanks were much more involved in fighting the japs than the brits were and there was massive anti Japanese feeling - I remember American comics which featured horrific tales of the war in the Pacific.
But here at least it's gone the other way completely; we are full of admiration for all things Japanese. Sometimes quite blindly; we even struggle with chop sticks, water-stones and pull saws!

 

[Jacob]

Having read his posts on how he would welcome an immigrant family moving in next door to him in the Brexit thread...

That assumes he was being sincere (our Jacob does like to try and provoke), and that the probability of such an event in a national park in Derbyshire with super-high house prices is at all likely. :lol:

BugBear

We have polish, german, dutch, rumanian, ecuadorean, neighbours within half a mile and we get on with them all really well.
Our immediate neighbours are from Brighton, even they are OK!

It's not that posh here - this was a poor and unattractive quarry/mine village until only a few years back and they are still operating in a small way. The village is about 50% post war council houses so they were nearly all newcomers too, but 2nd / 3rd generation now.

 

[lurker]

The company I worked for (35 years in all) was taken over by a well know (but now extinct) Japanese company, I can assure you none of my ex colleagues admire anything japanese.
I am unable to fulfill my retirement plans because my pension pot was stolen in a manner that would have made Robert maxwell blush.

 

[bugbear]

..... Jap is considered a very derogatory word in America, whereas it is much milder over here. .....

WW2. The yanks were much more involved in fighting the japs than the brits were and there was massive anti Japanese feeling - I remember American comics which featured horrific tales of the war in the Pacific.
But here at least it's gone the other way completely; we are full of admiration for all things Japanese. Sometimes quite blindly; we even struggle with chop sticks, water-stones and pull saws!

I think the English had more than enough of the Japanese in WWII. Read and learn.

http://www.fepow-community.org.uk/

BugBear