!: Developing A Policy Covering Safety Knives For Work

There is today fortunately a wide range of excellent safety knives for work, all of which incorporate several key features designed to minimize the potential risks involved in using open blades in the work place. Although it is clearly preferable to try to identify ways in which the use of knives in the work place can be eliminated through alternative manufacturing processes or packaging materials, there are occasions when it is simply impossible to completely remove the need for knives and other bladed implements. In these cases, as well as using safety knives for work which help to reduce risks and hazards, it is also essential to make sure that adequate policies are put into place.

Although the word policy can tend to suggest paperwork which sits in a manager's filing cabinet until there's an accident, it should be noted that in the case of knives in the work place any and all safety policies governing any aspect of knives should be enforced, and reinforced, on a regular basis. There is little point in having a safety policy if staff are not made fully aware of it, trained to understand and implement the policy requirements, and are regularly reminded and monitored to ensure that the principles of the policy are put into place.

It should be noted that quite apart from this approach making sense to anyone with a genuine interest in reducing the level of risk and the number of accidents and injuries in the workplace each year, if an accident does occur then the employer may be liable if it can be shown that they did not make sufficient effort to implement and enforce the safety policy regarding the use of knives in the workplace.

So what elements should be included in any policy regarding the use of knives and blades at work? As a guide, the policy should include the following practical points, wherever this is at all possible. All open bladed knives of any description should be completely banned. If there are any such blades or knives still stored on site then these should be removed and safely disposed of in the appropriate manner. Staff should be instructed never to introduce their own blades or knives for any reason, and no orders should be placed by anyone for such knives.

There are many types of safety knives for work which means that there will certainly be a form of safety knife for each and every need and task. Staff should be made very clear that these safety knives are the only type of knife to be used. It should be made explicitly clear under the policy who has responsibility for the various aspects of enforcing the policy, training staff, monitoring knife use and purchasing appropriate safety knives for work. Clear training requirements should be detailed in the policy, including the type of training, the frequency of training and who will be required to undertake this training, Auditing of such training should also be included as a specific element within the policy.

Details of the type of safety knives which can and should be ordered or used within the workplace should be included, as well as details on who will be responsible for looking after and storing these knives when not in use. Clear instructions or guidance should be included which details precisely who will be responsible for verifying the safety of any knife used in the workplace, including what procedures should be followed in the event that a knife is found to be worn or faulty in any way.

Although safety knives for work are now helping to significantly lower the number of injuries each year in the workplace, having a clear and explicit policy, and making sure that policy is implemented fully is essential in helping to maximise the effect of having safety knives at all.