Title page for ETD etd-03292012-193752

Type of Document

Master's Thesis

Author

James, Joel

Author's Email Address

jjame37@lsu.edu

URN

etd-03292012-193752

Title

Impact of Lean Production on Workers Exposure to Risk in Modular Home Building Manufacturing

Degree

Master of Science in Industrial Engineering (M.S.I.E.)

Department

Construction Management and Industrial Engineering

Advisory Committee

Advisor Name	Title
Ikuma, Laura	Committee Chair
Aghazadeh, Fereydoun	Committee Member
Nahmens, Isabelina	Committee Member

Keywords

Lean
Kaizen
Job Safety Analysis

Date of Defense

2012-03-09

Availability

unrestricted

Abstract

The construction industry records the highest number of work-related injuries and fatalities in
the United States according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Workers’ exposure to risk may
be affected by implementing Lean concepts. This study describes the effects on worker’s
safety environment after a Kaizen event, a Lean tool, conducted in three workstations within
a modular home manufacturer: base-framing, sheet-rock hanging, and painting. The effects
of Lean on safety hazards at each of the three workstations were determined by conducting a
Job Safety Analysis (JSA) before and after each Kaizen. Based on the JSAs a risk assessment
tool (questionnaire) was developed to determine the workers’ exposure to risk before and
after each Kaizen. This study also focused on determining the reliability of the risk
assessment tool. Twelve students with prior knowledge of safety and four certified safety
experts completed the questionnaire by rating probability and severity of a list of hazards
potentially present in each workstation. According to students there was a significant
reduction in risk values for base-framing station and sheet-rock hanging station. Whereas,
according to safety experts significant reduction in risk values was confined to base-framing
station. Based on the reliability analysis the risk assessment tool was reliable in measuring
risk at each of the three work station as per safety experts, and as per students the reliability
was confined to only sheet-rock hanging station. As per the reliability analysis the finding of
safety experts should be supported. The safety experts supported the finding that Lean
showed significant reduction in risk values in base-framing station. Thus, it could be
concluded from the study that Kaizen could occasionally reduce or eliminate specific safety
hazards.

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