Utility Knives

    If employees have access to a good, useable tool, they will use it, preventing potential injury and product damage.  In all facets of today's workplace, the utility knife is making its presence – and use – known. Consider, emergency rescue personnel using a seat belt cuter to remove an injured child from a wrecked vehicle, or bakers opening bags of flour effortlessly with food-safe bag cutters. Imagine a disaster animal rescue team cutting string, debris, and plastic cording wrapped around injured wildlife after a flood.

    Utility knives take many shapes and forms, but they have found a prominent place in almost every workplace. They are known as safety knives, safety cutters, box cutters, hook knives, rotary cutters, and more.

    In the retail and restaurant industries, the indispensable hand tool has been around for generations. Not just for boxes and cartons, the utility knives can be used in nearly any industry. Employers who provide access to the utility knife discover their employees keep these tools for their convenience and use.

    To avoid injury or damage to inventory, retailers should also use caution when opening shipping and receiving freight. Perhaps one of the most often overlooked precautions is in the use of a utility knife. Retailers are constantly receiving shipments and orders that require careful opening to prevent injury as well as damage to the product. Use the following guidelines to safely open a carton with a box cutter:

1.    Always keep a utility knives with sharp utility knife blades handy when working with freight and opening boxes.
2.    Set the carton on a flat, steady surface.
3.    Position the carton at an angle to your body so that the utility knife will not be moving directly towards you.
4.    Place one hand on the box and use the other hand to firmly hold the box cutter.
5.    Make a smooth cut, and then turn the carton a quarter revolution. Make another smooth cut, and turn the carton again.
6.    Cut as close to the top of the box as possible.
7.    Check the condition of the box cutter's blade. Dull blades require more pressure and increase the risk of injuries.

Safecutters.com offers a full range of unique utility knives and utility knife blades. Its long-lasting, dual-stainless-steel utility knife blades won’t break, and its recessed position prevents contact with fingers. Its unique shape is designed to pierce cardboard without damaging carton contents, and the handle is ergonomically designed to fit comfortably in your hand, while the side ridges ensure you maintain a firm grip. It’s dishwasher-safe and easy to store.  

    To work well, utility knives need to be mistake-proof. In other words, their safety features must be so deeply built-in that a new, untrained employee can’t accidentally override them.