Safety knives are tools commonly used in stocking, shipping, receiving, manufacturing, restaurants, food service, construction, and many more places of employment. Almost all of these workers have to cut something during their workday – whether that be opening up packages or containers, cutting cartons, slicing shrink wrap, or performing general maintenance. 

With new trends and advancements in knife safety and design, it’s now easier than ever to get your jobs done and also keep your employees protected. Read on to learn more about the top safety knife trends for 2019 and how they help to promote a safer working environment.    

Ergonomic knives

When we apply ergonomics to safety knives, many factors contribute to effectiveness. In 2019, we are seeing more safety knives focusing their design on making sure the knife is comfortable for the user to hold. In addition to this somewhat obvious design idea, now having a completely ergonomic knife design also includes the blade quality, blade thickness, ease of blade changes, and the ease of use of the trigger mechanism. A well-designed and well-functioning safety knife will not only aid in ergonomics (especially when compared to fixed blade utility knives), but it will also help to reduce the risk of lacerations.

Concealed blades

Concealed knife blades have been around for a while, but the new trends we see surfacing in 2019 are a design improvement from older models. In the past, concealed blades were effective in minimizing the risk of lacerations and product damage, but they did not do an adequate job in cutting corrugated and other rigid materials because the knife itself was too thick. Now, we are seeing more concealed blade safety knives feature a thinner head which enables them to cut through a broader range of industrial materials (including thick double wall boxes).

Trigger-activated safety knives

Trigger-engaged safety knives are a relatively new concept, but they have many advantages, and we anticipate seeing more of them in 2019. Instead of having to engage the knife blade every time it is needed, all users have to do with trigger activated safety knives is to squeeze a trigger to make it work. This concept is much easier and more natural than having to push a slider forward with your thumb. Like any new technology though, it is important to train your users on how to operate this new tool correctly.

Disposing of used blades

In the past, it wasn’t uncommon to see used and broken blades discarded in unsafe places like trash cans. Leaving blades exposed in areas like that is a safety hazard. In 2019, we are seeing more and more companies taking an active role in establishing company-wide protocols and precautions to ensure appropriate blade disposal. Now, when they finish with their blades, they are putting them in leak-proof containers to contain them properly. They are also supplying small personal blade containers to their employees to keep in their pocket for blade disposal when they are on the go. These are trends we hope will become future industry-wide habits.  

Detailed knife safety programs 

Knives are very common, but they do pose risks when improperly handled. When injuries occur, they not only harm employees, they also end up costing companies quite a bit of money. Many businesses now understand the value in establishing organization-wide knife safety programs. As we know, there are millions of laceration injuries each year, and many of them are preventable with proper training and safety precautions. So companies are now taking a closer look at their existing cutting tools, finding out more about how their employees use them, and using training materials (including videos) to teach proper operation.       

In 2019 we’ll continue to see the evolution of safety knife design progress. We will also see companies spending more time and effort on cultivating a safe working environment for their employees. These trends will hopefully result in less overall laceration injuries, and more informed and educated safety knife users.    

Martor USA has been in the business of providing tools since 1981, and their safety products are respected and trusted by the world’s leading enterprises.