Though they’re one of the most useful, knives are also one of the most dangerous tools your employees can use. Each year, they account for one-third of all workplace injuries. 

That’s why implementing a training program is so crucial: Not only does it greatly reduce your employees’ risk of injury, but it also reduces your bottom line.

Creating your own safety training program can be intimidating. While your employees will all have different experience levels, it’s best to assume that everybody involved is a beginner when it comes to knife safety. Doing so will ensure that your program encompasses everyone’s comfort and skill levels. Additionally, it gives you the chance to create a set of standard operating procedures across your employee workforce.

There are five key elements that should be included in your program, whether it takes the form of a “knife safety in the workplace” powerpoint or an in-person demonstration.

Five important things to include in your workplace knife safety training

Types of knives

With so many knives to choose from - including retractable blades, spring-loaded knives, concealed blades, and smart knives (just to name a few) - it’s critical that your employees know when each one is used. 

Choosing the wrong knife can have dire consequences, so be sure to include a section that breaks down every type of blade they’ll come in contact with as well as when to use it. Even better, have each type on hand so that your employees can see and feel it in person before using it in a work situation.

Basic knife safety rules

Sometimes, the most basic safety rules are the ones that prevent the most injuries. A few to keep in your arsenal include:

• Cut only on stable surfaces.
• Never try to catch a falling knife.
• Don’t hand a knife to a coworker. Instead, lay it on a flat surface for them to pick up.
• Always cut away from your body and make sure coworkers are out of the cutting path of a sharp blade.
• Keep the thumb of the hand using the cutter away from the blade, and your other hand far enough away to avoid laceration.
• Knives should be kept sharp.
• Wear safety glasses and gloves.
• When done with a knife, store it edge-down or covered.

How to identify a potentially dangerous knife

No matter the type of knife, a broken or dull blade is a dangerous blade. In fact, dull or broken blades are one of the leading causes of lacerations and other knife-related workplace injuries. 

This is because a dull or broken blade requires far more pressure and effort to cut than a sharp one, and the extra effort required becomes a danger to the user.

There are a few signs you should teach your employees should look for when they inspect the tool they’re using:

• The knife doesn’t cut like it used to and requires more energy, tugging, or pulling
• The edge of the knife looks dull and reflects light 
• There are visible chips or roughness in the blade

You can easily test sharpness by holding a piece of paper vertically and cutting a straight line down. If the knife crumbles the paper rather than slices it, it’s time to replace or sharpen your blade. It’s best to keep replacement blades nearby.

Proper first aid procedures

Your employees should be exercising the utmost caution when using knives in the workplace, but accidents still happen. 

It’s important that every employee knows how to treat and report every injury properly, even those that are small and do not do serious damage, like nicks or cuts. Failing to do so can lead to serious infections and a contaminated work area or blade.

Wounds should be washed with warm water and soap before cleaned with an antiseptic in order to kill any germs. In the event of a serious injury (e.g. a severed tendon or damaged finger), the employee should be taken to the hospital for further inspection.

Once the wound has been attended to, the work area must be cleaned next. The risk of illness being spread by blood is very real, and any area or knife that might have come into contact with the wound should also be properly disinfected. It’s not enough to simply wipe it down; a disinfectant to kill germs and bacteria, such as bleach, should be used in conjunction with warm water and rags.

How to create a safe work environment

Perhaps the most important safety value you can instill in your employees is knowing the value of a safe work environment.

Part of a safe work environment is physical: Employees should know how to create a  safe workstation that is well-lit, organized, and free of distractions. It should also include the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) to prevent injuries, such as cut-resistant gloves and protective eyewear.

But it goes further than just a safe workstation and extends to an employee’s mental and physical wellbeing. Employees should also actively work to keep themselves safe from overexertion, fatigue, and rushing.

The best way to ensure that every employee has a safe working environment is to create a strong training program that encompasses every aspect of knife safety. At Martor USA, we’re passionate about knife safety and have offered knife safety programs to companies of all sizes for close to 40 years. Take a look at our inventory and find out how our knives will enhance the safety of your employees here.