Knife Safety Rules

Knife injuries happen very quickly, especially if your mind is distracted. Dull knives are more dangerous to use than sharp knives because of their resistance to cutting effectively. Keep your knives sharp and follow basic safety rules to prevent injuries.

Storage

The best place to store a knife is in a knife block or rack. If a knife must be stored in a drawer, keep it separate from other utensils and always keep the handles and blades pointed in the same direction.

Washing

Hold onto the handle while you wash the knife. Do not drop a knife into sudsy water to wash it; if you can't see through the soap suds, you could accidentally grab the blade.

The Proper Knife

Use the correct knife for the job. A paring knife should be used for paring (trimming off the outer covering or skin of food), and larger knives for chopping or slicing.

Cutting Boards

Never use your hand to hold the object you are cutting. Place the item on a cutting board, and set a damp towel between the cutting board and the table or countertop to prevent slippage.

Dropping a Knife

Do not try to catch a falling knife. Step back to prevent any injury and let it fall to the floor.

Cutting Technique

Always angle the blade away from you while cutting, and keep fingers clear from the blade.

References

• Knife safety