Eliminating Exposed Blades in Warehouses and Shipping Departments

 If you use and work with exposed blades in your warehouse or shipping departments, your workers have an increased risk of getting injured. No matter how well you train your employees to correctly operate knives with exposed blades, they still pose a threat. 

So, if you are looking for ways to help reduce common injuries like cuts and lacerations within the workplace, eliminating exposed blades is an essential step. Let’s explore more about why you should replace these potentially dangerous tools with safety knives, and how it can benefit your organization.

The Dangers of Exposed Blades

Everyone knows that you should exercise caution when working with knives. However, when your employees are trying to work quickly with exposed blades to accomplish their tasks, it can be easy to forget the safety rules and for them to make mistakes. These mishaps can turn into severe injuries that not only hurt your workers, but cost you thousands of dollars for medical care, hinder your productivity, and lead to expensive workers’ compensation claims.

Knife accidents can occur when an employee becomes distracted, their knife slips, or they accidentally drop it while working. Therefore, equipping your workers with safety knives instead of having them risk injury by using exposed blades while working will help reduce the amount of and likelihood of those injuries. Safety knives have features that can help keep your employees safe even when they make mistakes. 

Why Are Safety Knives Better Alternatives?

Safety knives limit blade exposure, and that can contribute to a safer working environment. There are different types of safety knives, including semi-retractable blades, fully retractable blades, and concealed blades. And all these kinds of knives offer advantages since only exposing blades while cutting materials help complete tasks and keep the risk of encountering skin down too.

Safety knives work by having the ability to retract blades, or by concealing them entirely within their design. The type that is best for your organization depends on the kind of materials you are cutting. For example, if you need to cut through multiple layers of different materials at your warehouse, a fully-retractable knife with a durable handle is ideal. On the other hand, your shipping department may need safety knives that specialize in cutting shipping materials like shrink wrap and single wall cardboard. In this case, concealed blade knives may be the best choice to keep your workers safe.               

No matter what industry you work in, eliminating exposed blades in your warehouse or shipping department and purchasing safety knives instead is an investment you should consider. And, once your employees are trained appropriately on how to operate safety knives, they will find that they are easier to use than exposed blades too. 

A knife is one of the most common tools found in any workplace today, so finding safer alternatives than exposed blades can make an immediate positive impact on workplace safety. If you have any questions about switching your company over to safety knives and what kind is best for your operations, contact Martor USA today.