Safety knives are now considered one of the most effective ways to prevent cuts in the workplace. Whether in logistics, manufacturing, retail, or the trades—anywhere where cardboard boxes are opened, strapping is cut, or materials are trimmed—such cutting tasks are part of everyday work. Despite being routine, these activities pose a significant risk of injury.
Against this backdrop, many companies are wondering whether the use of safety knives is required by law.
The short answer is: To date, there is no explicit legal requirement in Germany, the European Union, or at the U.S. federal level. Nevertheless, the applicable occupational safety regulations, taken as a whole, clearly support the use of safe cutting tools, provided that this is appropriate within the framework of the risk assessment.
No product liability—but a clear obligation to minimize risk
Modern occupational safety and health law takes a risk-based approach rather than a product-based one. Laws and regulations generally do not prescribe specific tools that companies must use. Instead, they require employers to systematically identify hazards and take appropriate measures to reduce risks as effectively as possible.
In Germany, this principle is derived in particular from the Occupational Safety and Health Act (ArbSchG). Section 5 requires employers to conduct a risk assessment, while Section 3 requires them to take the necessary occupational safety and health measures.
The Industrial Safety Regulation (BetrSichV) is the primary legal basis for the selection of work equipment. According to § 3(3) of the BetrSichV, the risk assessment must begin before the selection and procurement of work equipment. When conducting regular inspections, the state of the art must be taken into account in accordance with § 3(7) of the BetrSichV.
In addition, the regulations and rules of the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) specify the requirements for safe work equipment and its use.
At the European level, the Framework Directive on Occupational Safety and Health 89/391/EEC takes the same approach. It calls for risks to be avoided wherever possible or controlled at their source, and for appropriate preventive measures to be implemented.
A similar principle applies in the United States as well, under the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Employers must provide safe work equipment, minimize identified hazards, and provide their employees with appropriate training.
What all sets of regulations have in common is that they do not include a general requirement to use safety knives. However, they do require that companies be able to provide a clear justification for why the selected work equipment is suitable and safe for the specific task.
Risk Assessment as a Key Basis for Decision-Making
The decision regarding work equipment is based on the risk assessment and the protective measures derived from it.
If employees are assigned cutting tasks—such as opening packaging or cutting materials to size—the associated hazards must be assessed. In doing so, it is necessary to determine what measures can be taken to prevent or effectively reduce the risk of cuts as much as possible.
The employer is responsible for conducting the risk assessment and determining the necessary measures. In doing so, the employer can and should seek consulting services from the occupational safety specialist, among others. When selecting protective measures, the STOP principle must always be followed:
S – Substitution: Avoid hazardous work practices or unsuitable tools whenever possible, or replace them with safer alternatives
T – Technical Safeguards
O – Organizational Protective Measures
P – Personal Protective Measures
Depending on the model, safety knives feature accident-prevention mechanisms such as automatically or fully automatically retracting blades, concealed cutting edges, or limited cutting depths. When selected to suit the specific task and material being cut, these features can significantly reduce the risk of cuts without compromising the efficiency of work processes. From an occupational safety perspective, it may therefore be advisable to choose appropriate safety knives over conventional utility knives.
If a proper risk assessment has not been conducted, the employer fails to fulfill its obligations under Section 5 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and—when knives are used as work equipment—under Section 3 of the Industrial Safety Regulation. In addition, the results of the risk assessment, the protective measures established, and the verification of their effectiveness must be documented in accordance with legal requirements.
Recommendations from the occupational safety and health associations and the state of the art
Nevertheless, safety knives are already an integral part of workplace safety in many companies today. In particular, they have become standard equipment in logistics centers, distribution warehouses, and manufacturing facilities. This trend is supported by recommendations from the employers’ liability insurance associations and accident insurance funds, the DGUV, and other occupational safety organizations.
Although these recommendations do not have the force of law, they can provide companies with important guidance on recognized protective measures, proven preventive solutions, and safe operational practices. These concepts, in particular, play an important role in occupational safety. Companies are required to give due consideration to technical developments and recognized protective measures when selecting their work equipment.
In technical law, a distinction is often made between three levels of protection: generally accepted rules of technology, the state of the art, and the state of science and technology. The Industrial Safety Regulation defines the state of the art in § 2(10) BetrSichV as the level of development of advanced processes, equipment, or operating methods whose practical suitability for protecting safety and health appears to be established.
If cut injuries occur repeatedly even though suitable safety knives were available, it becomes increasingly difficult for companies to justify why they resorted to less safe tools.
While this does not create an immediate legal obligation regarding the product, it does give rise to a growing normative expectation to use modern and lower-risk work equipment.
More Than Just Compliance
The use of safety knives is therefore not merely a matter of legal compliance. It reflects a preventive approach to safety. Companies that provide appropriate work equipment, train their employees, and regularly review their risk assessments do more than just reduce accident rates. They also strengthen their safety culture and demonstrate that they systematically fulfill their legal obligations.
In addition, reduced downtime, fewer reportable workplace accidents, and greater safety awareness among employees can contribute to economic benefits. Investments in safe work equipment therefore pay off from both an occupational safety and a business perspective.
Conclusion
Regulatory requirements do not (yet) explicitly require companies to use safety knives. However, they do require companies to assess hazards and take appropriate measures to mitigate risks. These requirements make the use of safety knives particularly advisable for regular cutting tasks.
The real question, therefore, is not whether a law explicitly requires safety knives. Rather, the decisive factor is whether, in light of the existing risks, a conventional utility knife is still the safest and most appropriate choice. Based on risk assessments, the state of the art, and the recommendations of the employers’ liability insurance associations, this question is increasingly being answered in favor of modern safety knives in most areas of application today.
