Scissors aren’t equipped to handle the daily grind of opening boxes, cutting through tough materials, and splitting tape that happens in restaurants and food distribution centers. Therefore, a box cutter is a vital tool that should be kept on hand at both of these locations. 

Another reason to invest heavily in safety box cutters is that hand injuries are one of the most prevalent work-related injuries. These injuries can span from small scratches to nerve-damaging lacerations that cost your employees and your business.

To avoid serious injuries without sacrificing quality, you need to choose the right safety box cutter for your beverage and food distribution center. Below, we highlight the importance of safety knife training, what to look for in a safety knife, and most importantly, offer a few suggestions to help you select the right fit.

Understanding the Importance of Safety Knives

Employee safety is at the forefront of every food and beverage distribution center. Using sharp knives to cut open boxes and slice through films is a dangerous job considering that lacerations are one of the top causes of workplace injuries.

That’s why choosing safety knives and, more importantly, the right ones for your food and beverage distribution center is essential for protecting your employees and products. The last thing you need is an employee injury or products needing to be thrown away.

MARTOR provides online and in-person training courses to help food and beverage distribution employees protect themselves from injury.

Key Safety Knife Features to Look for 

Any safety knife has three key features: ergonomic handles, sharp blades, and safety features. Not every safety knife is built the same.

Investing in safety knives with handles designed to be held for long periods makes sense. A knife without an ergonomic grip leads to cramps and potentially serious injuries if something goes wrong during cutting. Find a safety knife designed for the human hand to avoid unexpected lacerations.

Secondly, a knife doesn’t work if you aren’t using the right blades. Dull blades force employees to push harder, leading to blade slippage and eventually serious injuries. Your safety knives need sharp blades that last long to ensure every slice goes smoothly.

Lastly, the safety functions of your knife. Safety knives are different because they come with protection if the blade slips. You want to find a safety knife that retracts when the blade is no longer on the cutting surface.

Best Safety Knives for the Food and Beverage Industry

Keeping your employees safe without sacrificing productivity is essential to the food and beverage industry, which is why MARTOR delivers high-quality products perfect for every distribution center.

SECUMAX 145 MPD

Food distribution centers or places where food goods are manufactured require the use of safety knives with metal-detectable plastic (MDP). Metal-detectable plastic helps make it easy to find the disposable tool if it, or parts of it, unintentionally enters the production process.

The SECUMAX 145 MPD is a disposable safety knife made from metal-detectable plastic with a 2-in-1 blade head for cutting and piercing. This will make cutting through boxes, textiles, and cords easier.

The SECUMAX 145 MPD blade is concealed within the tool to ensure user and product safety, and additional safety features include an ergonomic handle and a stainless-steel blade for cleanliness.

SECUMAX 150 and SECUMAX 150 MDP

For use within restaurants, bars, and cafes, the SECUMAX 150 and SECUMAX 150 MDP are the ideal choice. 

The SECUMAX 150 is a disposable safety box cutter that easily slices through box tape, shrinkwrap, cardboard, and bagged goods. 

The concealed blade can be used quickly and efficiently without risk of injury. For example, this cutter is ideal for opening bags of cooking supplies, cutting shrink-wrap to preserve the leftover product, and quickly breaking down leftover cardboard. 

Aside from the concealed blade, additional safety features include an ergonomic handle made of polycarbonate, a disposable blade that will not get lost during work or hurt you when changing it, and a handle accessible to both right and left-handed individuals. 

For ease of access, the SECUMAX 150 also includes a lanyard hole to secure it to your person (because who doesn’t hate misplacing their handy tool?). 

SECUNORM PROFI 40 MDP

One of the best knives for the food and beverage industry, our SECUNORM PROFI 40 MDP is perfect for your warehouse if you’re hoping to keep foreign objects out of your product and disrupting your lines.

With a deeper cutting depth, this safety knife works particularly well if cutting open sacks on the production line. For something paint-free and metal-detectable, there’s no better choice than the SECUNORM PROFI 40 MDP.

MARTOR’s Safety Knives for the Food and Beverage Industry

Protecting your employees and products should be of the utmost importance to any business owner. Selecting the proper safety blade for the work environment can aid in this goal and help prevent accidents from occurring.

Check out MARTOR’s entire line of safety knives and cutting tools to find out which one is best for your industry, or contact us to learn more about safety knife options and training.