Sturgeon Electric Uses 5S Lean Principles to Improve Productivity & Safety While Reducing Waste & Rework Feb 4, 2026

Hospital renovations show effectiveness of using the 5S system

Construction sites can quickly become cluttered and disorganized spaces.

When this happens, productivity drops, safety issues arise, and projects are less likely to achieve optimum results. Unfortunately, this scenario occurs more often than it should.

MYR Group subsidiary Sturgeon Electric Company (Sturgeon Electric) works to avoid these pitfalls by adhering to a simple, yet highly effective construction philosophy called 5S.

5S is a Lean management system for keeping a clean, organized, and efficient workspace guided by five basic visual controls:

1. Sort
2. Set in Order
3. Shine/Sweep
4. Standardize
5. Self-Discipline/Sustain

This system creates a mindset that encourages Sturgeon Electric crews to have materials, information, and equipment where it's needed, when it's needed. The goal is to keep work and organization simple.

"The 5S system forces you to think about organization and efficiency as a whole," Sturgeon Electric Project Manager Jacob Giron said. "As a company, it helps us strive to be efficient and create maximum value for our customers. It's not just about doing the work. Safety, material management, cleanliness, all these aspects are critical areas of our job."

Sturgeon Electric has long applied the 5S principles in its Commercial and Industrial (C&I) business segment, witnessing firsthand just how impactful the system is at improving safety, quality, and productivity while reducing waste and rework.

This has been especially true at the complex hospital renovations and expansions in Colorado.

In the 5S system, Sturgeon Electric crews plan and prepare for every single day, preparing carts specifically outfitted with tools and materials for the work performed by the electrician and organizing gang boxes with distinct labelling and sorting.

"For instance, this pipe rack that we're installing, we completely set up the cart to where our unit strut straps, couplings, connectors, or any other part they need is right here at the electrician's disposal instead of going and getting materials every other trip," Sturgeon Electric Foreman Jared Rangel said. "Now, everything they need to complete the task is within five feet of the work area, eliminating wasted time running all the way back to the lay down area and then back here."

Safety performance is also improved thanks to the 5S principles because a cleaner, more organized workspace reduces hazards such as trips, falls, lifting, or other stress-related injuries.

Combined with other helpful safety tools like the Energy Wheel, Sturgeon Electric has long held OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) STAR status, the organization's highest grade, stringently reserved for companies that develop and implement continuous improvement in workplace safety and health management.

Sturgeon Electric trains crews on 5S principles during initial orientation but keep the principles top of mind throughout the project lifecycle, continuously reinforcing strong habits and encouraging ownership of the work area.

Apprentices are often assigned as "5S champions," tasked with keeping the job site clean, organizing carts and gang boxes, and taking regular inventory of tools and materials. This not only benefits the current project but also helps develop the workforce for the rest of their careers.

"Getting introduced and familiar with 5S principles has benefited me early in my career by helping me build good habits," second-year apprentice Kort Kron said. "I've seen where the 5S system isn't used, and it eventually gets to a point where it's so messy that things get thrown out, and you have to start over. So, it's been great for me to build these good habits early on."

The 5S system goes beyond just cleanliness and organization on the job site. It also applies to the essential planning required of complex projects. Having the right stock of tools and materials and setting clear expectations for how and when they arrive, as well as only being used if they're needed, drive efficiency for individual projects and the company overall.

Coordinating with vendors, internal teams such as the prefabrication shop, and other trades on site are all fundamental to 5S principles. "Standardize" and "Sustain" may be the last two of the five principles, but they are the most essential to maintaining an effective and efficient organization.

"I'm proud of the field leadership on this team for their hard work and dedication to implementing and sustaining 5S standards," Giron said. "These standards are set from Day 1 when an electrician steps on site. Regular 5S audits and site walks reinforce our expectations top-down and help mold the culture of our team. 5S should be, and is, a way of life rather than something we touch on periodically."

At the end of the day, Sturgeon Electric's ultimate goal is to serve its customers as a strong and nimble partner, creating value and forging long-term relationships.

The 5S system helps guide the company's daily approach, setting the framework for a strong culture of accountability, quality, and safety.

"Embracing 5S principles helps us further strengthen our relationship with our customer by showing that we're leaders on the job site when it comes to cleanliness and professionalism," Sturgeon Electric General Foreman Gary Wolfmeier said. "We prove that we're willing to put in the extra effort to create a safer working environment and perform our scope of work effectively."