Safety Tip of the Week – Utility Knife Safety

Utility Knife Safety

There’s one hand tool that demands your respect over many others in the workplace, a tool that can cut you to the bone in an instant… the utility knife.

In fact, nearly one-third of all injuries attributed to manual workshop tools in the US involve knives with retractable blades.

Accidents involving utility knives occur for the following reasons:

• Drawing the knife towards you instead of away from your body;

• Working with a dull blade that requires more pressure, increasing the potential for injury;

• Trying to cut more than the knife can handle;

• Improperly storing the knife with the blade extended;

• Failing to wear personal protective equipment; or

• Neglecting to inspect the tool before use.

Safety precautions to keep in mind when using utility knives:

• Wear safety glasses to protect your eyes in case a blade breaks.

• Always use a sharp blade.

• Wear metal mesh gloves to protect your hands.

• Hand a utility knife to a co-worker with the handle first.

• Consider using self-retracting blades.

• Ensure the blades are properly positioned in the handle before use.

• Keep extremities out of the cutting path.

• Don’t apply too much pressure on the blade.

• Follow manufacturer’s instructions when changing blades. Don’t use utility knives to pry objects loose.

• Dispose of dull or broken blades in a puncture-resistant container.

   

As many as one-third of all manual tool injuries have been attributed to utility knives like box cutters. It only takes a moment of inattention for a blade to slip and an employee to be injured.