According to the HSE, cuts are the second most common form of injury in catering environments.  There are plenty of documented cases where people have been injured because they did not carry the knife properly, they applied too much pressure to the knife and many instances where someone was cut because a knife had been left in a sink.  

There are a few simple tips which can help to reduce cuts and knife injuries in the workplace:

• Use the right knife for the task where possible.
• Keeping knives sharp.  It might sound counterintuitive but the sharper the knife is, the safer it is to use. Blunt knives often require more force to chop with and are more likely to slip.
• Handling knives carefully when washing up.
• Always store knives properly after use (in a scabbard or container)
• Cut on stable surfaces.
• Use protective equipment where required.
• Train employees in the safe use of knives.  

Using appropriate gloves can be particularly helpful in avoiding injuries as it reduces the risk of the knife slipping as well as offering protection.

BLUE LATEX PALM COATED CUT 5 GLOVES    £9.30

For hand protection we offer a premium product, Latex Palm Coated Cut 5 Gloves, which offer maximum protection in all EN388 categories (abrasion protection, tear and puncture resistance and blade cut resistance).  With a highly specialised mix of DuPont, Kevlar, stainless steel and other high performance fibres, they also have sanitised hygiene function preventing odour over extended use.

Cut Resistant Filleting Gloves, £7.64

These cut resistant gloves are ambidextrous so can be bought singly and also reversed to increase wear – usually you only need to protect one hand when doing cutting work. They can also be laundered and are food safe.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT KNIFE FOR THE JOB

We have a range of knives for the catering industry, including the renowned Swiss professional knife.   Some are colour-coded and come in different lengths, others are more unique like the oyster knife. Here’s a selection...

VICTORINOX FIBROX FLEXIBLE FILLETING KNIFE, 16CM BLACK  £16.66

The Victorinox filleting knife has a flexible, high quality razor sharp ice-tempered stainless steel blade with a unique anti-slip soft grip nylon Fibrox handle.   

4"/ 10CM SERRATED KNIFE  £5.18

This 4" serrated knife enhances grip and safety.   The handles are of an ergonomic design for strong, positive handling. They are also slip resistant and have a protective hand guard, preventing the knife from slipping while in use.

8.5"/ 22CM COOKS KNIFE, £11.90

Available in five different colours, allowing for colour coded use. The benefit of colour coding is using different colour for different foods to avoid cross contamination or even food poisoning. This cook’s knife has a curved blade designed to ‘rock' from handle to tip for a gentle, even rocking and gliding motion as you cut. They are also slip resistant, preventing the knife from slipping while in use. The safe, wide blade is also great for scooping and gathering after cutting.

12"/ 30CM STEAK KNIFE, £18.96

This steak knife, also available in five colours provides a leading combination of initial sharpness and cutting edge retention. The handles are of an ergonomic design for strong, positive handling. They are also slip resistant, preventing the knife from slipping while in use.

6"/ 15CM BONING KNIFE STD, £8.50

This 6" Boning Knife is a part of our colour coded, good quality, low cost collection.

2.5” OYSTER KNIFE £4.58

This 2.5" oyster knife provides initial sharpness. The handles are of an ergonomic design for strong, positive handling. They are also slip resistant, preventing the knife from slipping while in use.

REMEMBER YOUR BASIC TRAINING

Finally, it’s worth making sure you update training so that everyone in your company remembers not to leave loose knives on worktops and that they don’t carry knives with whilst carrying other objects.

If you’d like to see more best practice tips to help minimise the risk of injury, the HSE has a dedicated page setting out the dos and don’ts of knife safety.  Knife safety

If you would like more information or advice about the products we have in stock and what is suited to your business, please email us at sales@cisafety.com or call us on 01726 74264

It's not just hygiene standards which are important when choosing workwear for for the food production sector, but also ensuring workwear is practical and safe.

Here is our guide to workwear in the food meeting the highest hygiene standards in the food processing sector.

It sounds obvious but choosing workwear which allows for the highest hygiene standards is an absolute priority.  Every member of staff working in a food-handling area has to have a high level of personal hygiene. As an employer, there are plenty of things that you can do to help your employees meet those standards.

The Food Standards Agency points out that staff must wear clothing that is suitable, clean, protective and that when preparing food they must have their hair tied back or under a suitable hair covering (a hat or a net).

You can find more information in the FSA Guide here

Of course as well as being clean and protective, clothing also needs to be fit for purpose, allowing staff to move around quickly, and in hot, often slippery kitchens or in colder freezer areas.

Workwear for the food industry must also comply with the following HACCP regulations:

• No external openings (pockets) above the waist to prevent items from falling out and into the food.
• Pockets on bottoms must be covered to prevent items from getting stuck in the clothes and accidentally be moved from one place to another.

At CIS we have a range of workwear solutions that are practical and well-tested. You can ask our sales team about our range of lab type coats, trousers and overalls that would meet these requirements.

Our aprons are flexible and lightweight but still strong enough to resist a wide range of chemicals and oils - including animal fats - perfect for seafood and meat processing industries.

DOUBLE PATCH FLEXIBLE PVC APRON, C/W TIES, BLUE, £13.87

This flexible PVC apron with double thickness front is very lightweight and comfortable. Fitted with wide, durable neck band with adjustable buckle and hand ties. It comes in a range of colours and is popular with meat wholesalers and fish production. It has quick connectors and a double thickness front for extra wear.

EPVC HEAVY DUTY APRON C/W SNAP CONNECTORS, BLUE £19.92

This heavy duty apron is flexible and lightweight yet still strong enough to resist a wide range of chemicals and oils including animal fats, these aprons are the first choice for the seafood and meat processing industries. Wide neck straps ensure a high degree of comfort, and the quick connectors on both the next strap and waist straps mean that donning these aprons is a simple task that can be completed even with gloved hands

CLOTHING FOR WASHDOWN AREAS

We also offer a range of washdown clothing – for high pressure cleaning of food production areas, or simply areas where there is a lot of water around such as fish filleting lines. These garments are all made from  wipe-clean materials, either soft and flexible PU or the more heavy duty PVC, and some have double thickness of material in high wear areas such as knees, front of smocks or front of bib & braces.

PU WAIST TROUSER, LEG STUDS, GREEN, £27.84

These cleaning trousers are highly water resistant with press button stud at the bottom of the leg.

Finally don’t forget your disposable gloves.  Our food safe gloves have high tear and puncture resistance and are easy to put on.  They are latex free, tough and comfortable - perfect for all hygiene tasks.

DISPOSABLE POWDER FREE BLUE NITRILE GLOVES, FOOD SAFE £7.05

If you would like more information or advice about the products we have in stock and what is suited to your business, please email us at sales@cisafety.com or call us on 01726 74264