Safety knives are extremely essential safety tools used extensively in different industries to reduce the risk of knife related mishaps in the workplace. Spring-loaded knives are equipped with a self-retracting blade and are used mostly for packaging and opening boxes. Most of these devices have a concealed blade that can be moved to a working position with the help of a slider. Though they are extremely effective in cutting through plastic, cardboard and other packaging materials, the safety blade retracts automatically as soon as the slider is released. Therefore, users have an additional layer of protection compared to standard knives.
Owing to their capabilities, safety knives have now become an essential component of occupational health and safety. However, before investing in safety knives, it is important for users to be aware of the safety classes of safety knives.
The versatility of safety knives allows these tools to be used for cutting a wide range of materials including cardboard, paper, foil, plastic, and more. The design of safety knives comprises of a switch or button, a blade and the body. An appropriate mechanism is used to bring the blade out of the body or conceal it completely. Based on these features and functionalities, safety knives can be classified into four safety classes.
Safety Class 1: This class provides the lowest level of protection, with standard craft knives and carpet knives making up this category. Using these knives requires pushing out the actual blade. Often made of plastic, these blades have a predetermined breaking point. Unfortunately, these blades can break involuntarily while cutting and pose threats to users. Also, as these blades are not equipped with a spring bearing, knives may be left lying around the workplace with the blade out.
Safety Class 2: This class of safety knives have blades that retract automatically when the cutting process is complete. Owing to the spring tension, the blade gets pulled in as soon as the users release their finger from the slider. Naturally, these safety knives offer a high level of protection for the users as well as the material.
Safety Class 3: This class refers to safety knives with fully automatic blade retraction mechanism. As a result, these knives can reduce the probability of accidents and injuries to a great extent. These blades are automatically retracted into the knife body when it disengages from the material or the cutting process gets interrupted.
Safety Class 4: Safety knives with concealed blades are categorised as safety class 4. The design of these blades releases only a small area of the blade and the remaining part remains concealed to ensure minimum contact with the user. Even this small area is restricted from getting close to the fingers by the hook design of the knife. As a result, it is almost impossible for users to get injured while using these safety knives.
If you are looking for the most sophisticated range of safety knives in the market, please contact us at ShockWatch. These products are being used by many different industries to reduce workplace accidents, save time, and increase productivity.
