Let's work safely: YOSHI!!!

Toyota is very concerned with safety. A well-known example of this concern with safety is the method of 'pointing and calling'. This method is used by public transport operators in Japan. Japanese train drivers will point at every sign they pass, calling out their status. When the train stops, the speed is verified by pointing at the speedometer. Platform attendants and drivers also point to the platform to check if the train is clear, often also pointing to additional surveillance monitors for this purpose.

This technique reduced accidents at Japanese railway companies by 30%, helping them make train travel in Japan the most reliable and safest train travel in the world.The Toyota headquarters in Japan are so large that they include roads with motorized traffic on them. During their initial orientation, the expat employees are instructed on how to cross the road when they are at headquarters: they have to point to the left, say YOSHI (which means something like, all right, OK), point to the right, say YOSHI again, and only then may they cross. The Japanese employees follow the safety regulations.

I see Toyota factory employers was using YOSHI in Sorocaba, Brazil. At the end of the factory meetings (daily meeting, KPI management, etc.) everyone gets together and shouts to the end: let's work safely, YOSHI (3 times).

Pointing and Calling gives co-action and co-reaction among the operator's brain, eyes, hands, mouth, and ears. Not only looking but also pointing and stating the observation avoids sloppiness and helps keep focus and attention. For simple tasks (and most of these tasks are reasonably simple), this technique reduces errors by almost 85%. Some companies use only pointing, or only calling, but the technique is most effective when combined.

Additionally, pointing and calling allows easy process confirmation. A supervisor observing the employee can easily verify that the signal has been seen and that the timetable has been checked. Hence, it is much easier to train operators and correct mistakes.

This standard is also often used in industry for visual confirmation. I have also seen this during the quality check of printed products. The operator points with his finger at every spot he is supposed to check. This standard is also used for inspection of the workplace before maintenance, pointing and calling, "Motor stop. Okay! " Some construction companies have also adapted this approach.

At EAS we introduced this technique at the end of the daily meeting. ALL MANAGERS MEET AND REPET 3 TIMES: LET'S WORK WITH SAFETY! YOSHI !!!

The photo above shows the area where the daily meeting takes place, the visual management framework with the KPIs. On the floor we painted: LET'S WORK WITH SAFETY! YOSHI !!!