Lean Management System LMS:2012

154  ◾  Lean Management System LMS:2012

to a special badge worn by the employee. A light on the badge turns green

to indicate that the employee is now ready to work with a patient. If the

employee approaches the patient’s bed without washing his or her hands,

the badge vibrates to remind the worker. PRWeb (2011) reports that the

system was sufficiently effective to reduce hospital-acquired infections by 89

percent at Miami Children’s Hospital.

Poka-yoke means, of course, error proofing in general. Shingo had origi-

nally used baka-yoke (idiot proofing), but workers took offense to this.

“Error proofing” is a far better term because, if it is possible to do the job

the wrong way, it is only a matter of time until the even most intelligent and

dilig ...