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Written risk assessment for the use of knives
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Posted By Mark Jacobs
I have worked in the hospitality sector for some years. I have seen generic risk assessments and safe working procedures for the use of knives.
Following an incident in our workplace we have been asked by our insurers why we do not have a written risk assessment for the use of Stanley knives.
My arguement is that they are a common
everyday life hazard and in addition they are sold without any safety instruction or warning.
Am I being unrealistic here? Perhaps we should train our restaurant customers in the use of steak knives?
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Posted By Simone Plaut
no you are not being realistic
remember people do stupid things
a member of staff at one of my clients workplaces recently used a stanley knife as a pencil, to mark up some wood for drilling, and severely cut himself.
dont assume that people are intelligent enough to use these things sensibly.
remember, cars are potentially fatal weapons and there are armies of uniformed officers out there ensuring you dont park it dangerously.
one day this will apply to stanley knives too
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Posted By Kieran J Duignan
Mark
A more fruitful perspective perhaps is to consider the level of risk.
I would assess that the hazards involved in misuing a Stanley knive are fairly highly and that the consequences can be very high; so overall, it would be a high risk for many folk.
Even those who use them often may allow familiarity to breed misperceptions of the serious consequences of lack of care.
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Posted By peter gotch
Mark
Surprised the insurers are not asking why you do not use inherently safer knives, eg those with self-retracting blades.
P
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Posted By Jim Walker
I seem to remember a prosecution last year for lack of a RA for these knives.
Some shop assistant managed to blind himself with one.
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Posted By Merv Newman
Every factory I have worked with over the past 10 years has banned stanley knives, usually replacing them with a suitable "safe cutter" adapted exactly to the job to be done, even if this means suppling a number of different tools.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I think that even the paper makers have got rid of their razor sharp sheath knives. There ARE safe ways of cutting down a 5 ton reel of broke.
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Posted By Laurie
I had an accident to report where the IP had 17 stitches because of one of these.
He was breaking down empty cardboard boxes in a kitchen, and was using the knife to cut the end taping etc. Got called away, and when he returned plunged his hand into the box and found his knife.
Yes I think you're being unrealistic!
Laurie
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Rank: Guest
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Posted By Mark Jacobs
Thanks for your responses which have been helpful.
The incident involving the knife happened before I joined the company.
We are currently trialing various safety knives with a view to using on of them across all of our sites.
Whilst I appreciate the need to train staff in the use of whatever new knife we use I am still wary of a specific risk assessment for a particular knife.
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Posted By Kevin Walker
Don't you sometimes ask yourself how do some of these people stay alive when they leave work and go home.
If they manage to be this stupid at work??
kevin
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Written risk assessment for the use of knives
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