Knives, blades and what we leave behind
A kitchen and workshop talk on blades left out, the wrong direction, and cuts.
This is a DRAFT for a competent person to review before anyone uses it in a talk. It is not legal advice and it does not make a workplace compliant.
What happened
A knife left on the edge of a bench, a blade facing out on a pass, a Stanley knife in a pocket. The person who used it has moved on. The next person finds it with their hand.
Why it matters
Cuts from knives are common, messy and completely ordinary. They happen in the handover, not in the middle of the careful bit. A sharp knife is safer than a blunt one, and a knife in the rack is safer than either.
What we do differently
You finish with a blade, you put it away. No knives in sinks of water. Cut away from your hand and from the person beside you. Report a blunt knife rather than forcing it. Wear the glove the task needs, and do not wear it near a machine that can catch it.
Discussion
- Where do knives end up when service gets busy?
- What is our rule for a knife in a sink?
- Who is allowed to change a blade, and where do the old ones go?
SafeMonday helps a workplace keep a record of near-miss reports, toolbox talks and who attended. That record can support evidence of instruction and consultation. It does not, by itself, make a workplace compliant with the health and safety law that applies where you operate.