A safety knife may be referred to as a spring-loaded knife equipped with a self-retracting blade used in different industries to minimise the risk of workplace injuries resulting from knife exposure. Most of the safety knives come with a concealed blade and a slider than can push the blade into a working position. However, the blades are designed to retract automatically as soon as the slider is released. Compared to standard knives, safety knives provide increased protection to workers. Safety cutters or blades are an excellent investment for many industries because they can prevent all types of workplace injuries that result from knife exposure.
Safety Classes for Safety Knives:
Extremely versatile work tools, safety knives are used for cutting many different types of materials including cardboard, paper, foils, plastic, and much more. The primary components of a safety knife include the body, blade, and a switch or button. The blade remains either completely concealed or comes out of the body using an appropriate mechanism to prevent cutting injuries. The knives can be classified into four safety classes based on the level of safety offered by them.
- Safety class 1: Class 1 safety knives provide very little protection, and this class comprises of carpet knives and craft knives. These cutting tools generally have plastic blades that can break during the cutting process. Also, the blades of these knives don’t have any spring bearings.
- Safety Class 2: Class 2 safety knives are equipped with blades that get automatically retracted once the cutting process is over. As soon as the users release their finger from the slider, the blades are pulled in by the spring tension of the cutters.
- Safety class 3: Safety knives belonging to this safety class are equipped with fully automatic blade retraction. This unique feature reduces the risk of injuries to a great extent. The blade gets retracted into the shaft automatically as soon as the blade disengages from the material or the cutting process gets interrupted.
- Safety class 4: These safety knives provide the highest level of protection, and come equipped with concealed blades. The design of these knives releases only a small part of the blades and the rest remains sheathed to avoid contact. Even the released part of the blade is restricted from coming in contact with fingers by the hook design of the knives. Safety knives with a hidden blade are available in different versions, from the simple disposable ones to those with interchangeable hidden blades.
Why Invest in Safety Knives?
The use of safety knives is of paramount importance for any organisation where workers regularly make use of different cutting tools. The cutters used in most of the industries are so fundamental that their potential for causing injuries is often overlooked. The direct and indirect costs resulting from cutting related injuries are huge and this is where investing in safe cutting tools can save businesses thousands of dollars annually.
At ShockWatch, we offer a wide range of safety knives designed to reduce accidents, save time, and increase productivity. Please contact us to find out the one that suits your needs.
