Five S stands for five Japanese words: Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, and Shitsuke Many people visit a hospital: patients, their families, staff, local and national compliance inspectors, hospital accreditation surveyors, and groups from other hospitals come to study. They all gain their first impressions from the general housekeeping observed at the hospital. They clearly equate cleanliness, orderliness, and tidiness with environmental consciousness and a focus on health and safety excellence. A clean, well-organized workplace is essential for high-performance. Are improvements possible in filthy surroundings? Can we expect people in dismal environments to work at their maximum potential? Can uncluttered minds with fresh ideas function in cluttered work places? The "Five S" tool consists of techniques used to establish and maintain a quality environment in an organization.