Knife Safety Instruction

Educational guidance on how workplace induction and safety instruction generally work — connected to workplace safety, occupations, industries, employment documents and company types. Informational only — not certified training, not an official qualification and not a substitute for mandatory workplace instruction; employers remain responsible for required training, competence and authorisation.

What this instruction covers

This page outlines, in general educational terms, the safety information around knives and cutting tools — the cut hazards, safe technique, choosing the right knife, and the role of cut-resistant protection.

It is awareness material, not training. The employer provides task-specific instruction and decides the safe cutting method; this page does not deliver or replace that.

The hazards

• Knife cuts are common and can be deep, severing tendons, nerves or blood vessels.
• Cutting towards the body, or with the free hand in the cut path, causes many injuries.
• A blunt knife is more dangerous than a sharp one — it needs more force and slips.
• Carrying, passing and storing knives unsafely causes cuts away from the cutting task itself.

Who needs it

• Workers who use knives, scalpels, box cutters or cutting tools.
• Kitchen, food production, warehouse, retail and packing staff among others.
• Supervisors who decide which knives and methods are used.
• New starters before they use cutting tools.

The safe system of work

• Use the right knife or cutter for the task, sharp and in good condition, and consider safer alternatives such as retractable or safety knives.
• Cut on a stable surface, cut away from your body and keep your free hand and fingers clear of the blade path.
• Keep knives sharp, since blunt blades slip; clean and store them safely in guards or blocks.
• Carry knives pointed down and to the side, never run with one, and pass it handle-first or place it down.

Required PPE & controls

• Cut-resistant gloves and, for some tasks, aprons or arm guards as the assessment requires.
• Safety or retractable knives where they suit the task to reduce exposed blade.
• Stable work surfaces, good lighting and safe storage such as guards, sheaths or blocks.
• The cutting method and controls set by the employer.

Pre-use & pre-task checks

• Check the knife is the right type, sharp, clean and has a sound handle and guard.
• Check the work surface is stable and the area is clear and well lit.
• Check cut-resistant gloves and any guards are present, intact and the right fit.
• Do not use a damaged, loose or wrong-type knife — report and replace it.

What the worker is and is not authorised to do

• Use the knives and cutting methods you have been instructed and authorised to use.
• Do not use a knife for a task it is not intended for, or improvise a cutting tool.
• Do not remove blade guards or disable safety features on cutters.
• The safe cutting method is set by the employer’s instruction, not by this page.

What to do if something is wrong / reporting

• Treat and report any cut, however minor, and follow first-aid arrangements.
• Report blunt, damaged or loose knives and faulty safety cutters.
• Report tasks where the available knife or method does not feel safe.
• Follow the site’s reporting route so the issue can be put right.

Training & competence

Employers are generally expected to provide instruction and, where needed, training in safe cutting technique, the right tools for the task, and safe carrying and storage of knives.

Instruction such as this page is information, not competence. Reading it does not make anyone competent in a specific cutting task; that comes from task-specific instruction, practice and the employer’s assessment.

Documentation

• The risk assessment and safe method for cutting tasks.
• Records of instruction given on safe knife use.
• Reports of cuts and near misses.
• A record documents what was provided; it is not, by itself, proof of competence.

Common mistakes

• Cutting towards the body or with the free hand in the blade path.
• Using a blunt knife that needs more force and slips.
• Using the wrong knife or a makeshift cutting tool for the task.
• Carrying a knife unsafely or leaving it where someone could grab the blade.

Who is responsible

The employer is responsible for providing suitable knives and cutters, instruction and training, cut-resistant PPE, safe storage and keeping records. This page is an educational outline only.

It does not deliver training, satisfy any legal requirement, or transfer the employer’s responsibility for safe cutting.