Collette has worked for COBA Europe and played a key role in the sales team for both matting and safety knife products since 2008.  She now focusses her attention on developing the Moving Edge safety knife and safety knife accessories business for COBA which has already experienced significant growth in the last two years.

One of the catalysts for growth to COBA’s Moving Edge business has been the launch of innovative new safety knives and many handy safety knife accessories, which are proving very beneficial to the workplace, especially in distribution and warehouse locations.

Collette will now be on hand to provide distributors and end-user clients with Moving Edge product support as required and can be contacted on 07545 301744 or 0116 240 1100.

The new Moving Edge auto-retracting yo-yo has been specifically developed to work with a range of PPE equipment, especially safety knives.  Both connecting ends use simple wide mouth D-clips, allowing the YoYo to be attached easily and quickly to both the user and the equipment.  The smooth, free flowing cord has a reach of 750mm.

Compact and lightweight, the Yo-Yo has been designed for operator comfort and ease of use.  Trials have proved that it is a great asset in the workplace in reducing safety knife usage/wastage,  especially for mobile operators such as fork lift truck drivers or personnel working in dock environments.  No longer do you have to remember to keep your safety knife at your side!

Competitively priced at just £5.28 including vat.  Simply order online at www.movingedge.com for swift delivery.

During the development of the Dispo Lite Food Safe safety knife,we used an application based risk assessment to address a multitude of eventualities for both food production and users safety. 

Key Design Principles

The main objectives were to remove any chance of the safety knife parts ending up in the production process which is why the design also incorporates the minimum amount of components. This also removes the opportunity for any malicious activity which may involve parts being left in the end product.

All metal components are stainless steel while all the plastic elements of the Foodsafe safety knives are manufactured from a metal detectable plastic material.   In fact, the plastic is a non-wear material. The Dispo Lite Food Safe knife is also in a highly visible blue, the recognised Food Blue for the food production industry. 

Although lightweight to hold, we also wanted to ensure our disposable foodsafe knives were fingersafe and ergonomically friendly to use.  All this, plus being durable and strong – and of course, fit for purpose. That is one of the reasons why we opted for a moulded, rather than pressed design.  The design significantly has no food traps, enabling easy and thorough washing, and reducing the risk of cross-contamination if opening different products.

The disposable food safe safety knife also needed to effectively work on a variety of packaging materials.  That is why we developed the Dispo Lite Food-Safe to effortlessly cut bags including tri wall, shrink wrap, tape and cardboard.

Blade control is made easy in high risk areas (and locations where the product is in contact or open to the production process) either by etching ID tags on each individual knife, or attaching ID tags.  The amount of blades can be easily identified and the lifecycle accurately controlled.  The Moving Edge Dispo Lite Food Safe safety knife has an average lifecycle of 2-3 weeks.

On-Site Blade Control

The control of blades varies from site to site. However the principle is the same across the industry – to control all hazards in an area where food is prepared, or where contamination can occur.

Most sites will achieve this by checking units between (or at the end / start) of shifts.  All safety knives are then accounted for and missing ones are identified easily.  This is also good practice to ensure the units themselves are free of defects and in good working order.

Sites achieve this in two ways:

1.       Control the time the units are used for – typically 2 week periods.  The Disposable safety knives will be disposed of on a rota basis regardless of usage and ensuring all knives are free of defects.

2.       Blade registration.  Each safety knife is identified by a number, which is normally etched on the unit or by reusable metal tags which are attached to the knife. Often a numbered knife board is used for this purpose.  Once the shift is over, the operators hang the knives so that missing safety knives can be identified and located, and any defects are easily spotted.

Quick Reference Facts about the Dispo Lite FoodSafe Knife:

• No parts that can become free in the food production process
• Minimum components – stainless steel and metal detectable plastic
• High visibility in Food Industry Standard – Blue
• No food traps and easily washed
• Moulded rather than pressed design
• Fingersafe
• Lightweight to hold, yet durable
• Effectively cuts bags including tri wall, shrink wrap, tape and cardboard.
• Simple and effective knife control and identification through ID
• Typical lifecycle – 2/3 weeks

Ideal for

• Opening Food Ingredient Bags up to Tri Wall
• Opening Boxes
• Cutting Pallet Wrap
• Cutting Tray Films

www.movingedge.com

“The focus has really been on new products and new markets,” explains Colin “the current climate has proved that just being safe isn’t enough.  The emphasis is on a combination of price, quality and safety that will help to make workflow more efficient and add value to the business.”

Colin also describes the importance of satisfying the needs of the end-user.  “This is always my focus because they channel the information back to their purchasing departments or distributors, and we keep in touch with the needs of the market.  We have learnt a great deal from listening to our customers over the last year, which range from ice cream factories to Europe’s largest steel works!”

So what does the future hold for Moving Edge products? “Certainly developing our export market is one key area.  We also have some really exciting product developments, some in the form of new products while others are improvements to existing designs.  We are working closely with distributors to expand the product range they offer giving both marketing and sales support.”

Changes are in the pipeline for the Moving Edge website to improve navigation and information available to users.   “Purchasing will be made easier and there will be greater technical material to simply the selection process alongside new marketing videos.  The Moving Edge website will be the essential place to visit when choosing or replacing safety knives,” says Colin.

Five Things to Know about Colin

• He loves Marmite
• He is a big fan of the comedian, Tim Minchin
• A self-confessed rugby fanatic – Leicester Tigers of course!
• They don’t call him Car Mad Colin for nothing
• Passionate … about Food!

Still in its prototype stage, the Moving Edge Auto-Retracting Yo Yo is proving to be a winning safety knife accessory through and through. It is the culmination of innovation and Moving Edge philosophy to listen to customers’ requirements in product development.

Trials of this safety knife yoyo have underlined its importance in terms of efficiency, productivity and cost-savings.

These impartial trials in areas such as distribution centres, warehouses and especially crossdock locations, provide positive feedback to the Moving Edge Safety Knife Yo Yo.

Moving Edge Safety knife Account Manager, Colin Fawdingon says, “We are delighted with out initial trials of the auto retractable yo-yo.  While being operator friendly and efficient, the yo-yos assist in reducing the amount of knives used over a period of time, therefore saving money and reducing waste.  The safety knife yo-yos are certainly invaluable to operators on the move, such as those personnel working in a dock environment or a fork lift truck driver for example.  Our trial results were significant – in fact safety knife usage was halved over a six week period.”

The new Moving Edge Auto-Retracting Yo Yo has been specifically developed to work with a range of PPE equipment, especially safety knives.  Both connecting ends use simple wide mouth D-clips, allowing the YoYo to be attached easily and quickly to both the user and the equipment.   The smooth, free-flowing cord has a reach of 750 mm and the yoyo itself is extremely compact and lightweight for operator comfort and ease of use.

The Moving Edge Yo-Yo will soon be widely available and is very competitively priced at £4.40 (RRP).

Not only safe, this invaluable service for blades and disposable safety knives complies with current Hazardous Waste Regulations the service is simple and efficient.

The service works in four easy steps as follows:

Step 1 – Order your bin and call to request the optional Disposable Service

Order a Moving Edge Sharpsafe Bin (available in a range of sizes for blades and disposable knives). If the sharps bin is to be disposed of by COBA, then make sure you telephone the sales office to request the Waste Disposal Service which is added to your order.   It’s worth ordering a couple of sharps disposal bins so when one is returned, there is another bin ready to take its place.

All sharps bins have a unique serial number which is entered into COBA’s logging system for full traceability during the lifecycle of the bin.

Step 2 – When full, return the bin using FREEPOST

As soon as your Moving Edge sharps bin is full of blades and/or disposable safety knives, simply click the non-returning lid down and post it back to COBA using the FREEPOST service.

Stage 3 – A Waste Transfer Certificate is issued

On receipt of the full bin, COBA logs this onto the system and issues you with a Waste Transfer Certificate which you sign and return for your records.

Stage 4 – Your Hazardous Waste is then Processed, and you have a fully traceable waste trail.

And that’s it!  A truly simple, safe and cost-effective way to dispose of hazardous sharps for added convenience and increased safety in the workplace.

For further information, please contact COBA on 0116 240 1099 or email sales@movingedge.com

If so, the team at Moving Edge safety knives would love to hear from you!

We’re constantly developing our range of safety knives and a large portion of our development or innovation is customer driven.  And at Moving Edge, we listen to our customers and their safety knife requirements.

We already have a number of existing customers that follow this program of safety knife development.  These customers have contributed to product improvements, one example being the forthcoming GR8 Pro project which brings with it enhanced durability, greater cutting performance and many new features.

Moving Edge would also like to hear from customers who require something totally new.   An example of this is our new AutoSafe safety knife project which was born out of customer requirement.

So what’s involved?

Well, firstly we kick off with a site survey to fully understand your safety knife requirements – after all, there’s no point in trialling a knife that won’t suit your application.  Following this, our highly skilled engineering team will then register your application.  When the next prototype is ready, it is sent back to you to test.  All we ask is for you to return your comments, which can be conveniently submitted via our website feedback form.

Here at Moving Edge we’re very passionate about innovation, which can come in many forms, from eco friendly solutions / waste management, to a completely new safety knife design.

Please send us an email if your business uses a lot of safety knives and that you feel there may be a better solution.  After all, this could have real benefit to you and others in the future, making it a win, win situation for all concerned.

While we already have the DBX safety utility knife in the Moving Edge range which totally encloses the blade, our feedback underlined the need for us to introduce a NEW Safety Utility Knife that was lightweight, durable, simple to use with a discreet, but clever safety feature!

At Moving Edge, we like to rise to a challenge and realised that honest, practical feedback was essential during the development process.  So, we teamed with a well known high street retailer which operates a large repack warehouse to trial several versions of our prototype knives in very testing and varied conditions before going into production.

The result is our amazing AUTOSAFE, a lightweight safety utility knife with an innovative auto-retractable blade.

Key Features of the Auto Safe

•             Automatic blade retraction on completion of cut

•             No possibility of leaving the blade out unattended

•             Easy blade change system – no tools required

•             Suitable for left handed and right handed users

•             Comfortable ergonomic grip

•             Ultra lightweight design

•             Highly visible black and red colour

The knives were tested over a three shift, seven day repack operation, where the products ranged  from small tote bin packing to full pallets using shrink wrap, cardboard, bubble wrap and banding materials.

During this process, we also introduced the option of an Anti Stab, round tipped blade to further enhance the safety features, which prevent cuts from accidental piercing from the tip of the blade.

Our development partner now has the first 500 Autosafe Knives with Anti Stab Blades and is delighted with the reduction in cuts on site.  In fact, the operators’ feedback is so positive they don’t want to hand back the prototype models!

AutoSafe Safety Knives are the perfect partner for:

• Warehouse / Distribution

• Picking / Repack operations

• Shrink wrap

• Boxes

• Tape cutting

• Bubble wrap

Having visited many food production facilities, one of the most common comments I’m confronted with is ‘I bet you can’t open my tri wall ingredient bag with that safety knife’!  I confidently answer, ‘please can I show you?’

The Dispo Lite Food Safe Knife has been specifically designed to open all types of bags.  The strong, ultra-slim hook design head and angled enclosed blade makes opening bags a safe and easy task, effortlessly gathering the bag layers into the blade.

Despite the dangers, some food manufacturing sites still use open blade knives for this application given the frustration of many safety knives failing to carry out this task efficiently.    The safety knife consequently now has a negative perception.  Thankfully, this can be changed with a simple demonstration of the Moving Edge Dispo Lite.

The key to the success of the Dispo Lite safety knife is a simple one, but nevertheless, very effective.  It is primarily down to the specially angled blade and of course, its design which incorporates a tough metal detectable flat surface body for minimal food trap.

The angled enclosed blade works best when the bags are under tension making it ideal for opening bags while in the emptying position, for example, over a mixing vessel.

So how do you get the best results for your Dispo Lite Safety Knife?

1. Push the tip into the side of the bag until the blade is in contact with the bag material.
2. Bring the knife to the 45 degree angle, which we call the ‘sweet cutting spot’.
3. Apply a little pressure, ensuring your cut is smooth and long, allow the blade to cut effortlessly rather than forcing the body to tear the bag.

The result should be a clean swift cut which requires minimum effort and once practiced, soon becomes second nature.

To discuss your application for safety knives in more detail, please contact the Moving Edge Sales Team.

While PPE is a hot topic within Health and Safety circles, the small, but nevertheless, essential preventative item that is the ‘safety knife’ receives relatively little attention in the media.

The choice, however, is quite extensive and can lead to some confusion for buyers during the selection process. This can be quite challenging for Health and Safety Officers in drawing up a Knife Policy as their primary concern is obviously safety, while for the users, it is more about cutting performance and productivity …. And for buyers, price is a big factor too!

Change in the workplace is never easy, especially when it involves converting individuals’ working techniques in their day-to-day job.  This can be a significant factor when specifying safety knives and gaining the support of users is imperative if the initiative is to be successful.

It is fair to say that safety knives have not always been warmly welcomed in the workplace with users believing that cutting performance is compromised.  Times have moved on in terms of safety knife design and development, and thankfully, this is becoming a view of the past.  But despite this, there are still those who continue to use open bladed knives for manual cutting operations not only posing a danger to themselves, but also potentially to others in the vicinity. 

Before purchasing knives, it is important to conduct a full risk assessment and knife audit. Safety knives vary hugely in style and performance. Direct communication with individuals from the various locations/departments in the workplace is the first step in evaluating precise requirements of safety knives. Then accurately listing the specific materials (such as cardboard, shrink wrapping, plastic strapping, netting) that are regularly handled in each area.  For instance, not all safety knives will cut cardboard well, so it is worth referring to the special features of each knife design.  A knife that performs well will be much better received by the user, and goes along way in developing a safe knife culture in the workplace.

Certain environments, such as in the food packaging industry, have very specific requirements for safety knives.  Some insist on a knife being 100% metal detectable and will thoroughly clean these in an autoclave, while others prefer a disposable knife to avoid the risk of cross-contamination.

A reputable safety knife manufacturer will always supply trial knives if requested, which is generally the best way of ascertaining suitability.  This is where it is imperative to ensure that users fully read the operating instructions for individual knife designs.  Some individuals will argue that they don’t need to be trained to use a ‘simple knife’ – mistake number one!  Incorrect use can dramatically inhibit performance and productivity.

For example, there is usually a correct angle at which to use certain styles of knives, allowing the blade to freely move through the material it is cutting, without snagging.  Some designs need to be held at a 45 degree angle, while others can be held in a more traditional style, similar to that of an open-bladed knife.

Cutting direction also depends on the knife design.  Some safety knives cut away from the user, while others (normally with a hook style head) cut towards them.  Some knives ‘slice’ rather than cut (again more of a hook style) to avoid snagging – rather like slicing a loaf of bread!

Such is the importance of correct training, responsible manufacturers will also ask for a signed consent form to ensure the instructions are fully understood by the operator before using the knives without supervision.  Knives normally come with full user instructions to ensure that in the absence of any formal training, the very minimum an employee does is to read the information carefully.  Some manufacturers welcome comments on feedback forms to work with customers in finding the right knife specification.

It is worth scrutinizing the overall design features of a safety knife.  A good knife should be comfortable to hold with an ergonomically designed handle.  The design should not risk damaging packaging contents, which can be costly in terms of lost goods.  More importantly, it can also risk contents becoming contaminated. 

Above all, the blade should not be left exposed when not performing the cut.  Some safety knives have a finger-safe gap and blade casing to protect the user from coming into direct contact with the sharp edge of the blade.  Others can have an auto-retractable blade (usually more of a utility style knife) – the blade simply springs back once it has left contact with the material it is cutting.

Some models will be lighter in weight (ie, plastic) while more heavy duty types, normally feature a metal body.   Even though plastic versions are lighter to hold, some designs have a surprisingly high breakforce reducing the risk of shattering and exposing the blade.  A hole in the knife body is useful for attaching a blade registration tag or lanyard for full knife control and inspection.

Also, some knives are disposable, while others are designed for replacement blades – the latter being popular for reducing wastage in zero to landfill initiatives.

If the safety knife features a removable blade that can be replaced or turned around, then users need to have instruction on this.   The minimum amount of exposure and time required during the blade change is recommended to minimise risks when handling the blade. In certain circumstances, the pin can be fixed to only allow blade removal with a special tool.  This can be an effective way of controlling the individuals who have permission to perform a blade change.  A key aspect of safety knives is that the blades are always sharp.  Safe sharps disposal is also essential with dedicated sharps bins.  Some manufacturers offer a sharps bin return service to ensure all blades are disposed of in a safe environment.

Other considerations are how the knife is to be used.  Will the handler have to carry this on his or her person, or will it be on a work bench?  The emergency services, or divers, will want a knife that cuts line, rope and seatbelts, but will need to carry it safely on their person without risking injury to themselves.

In short, the safety knife is a small device with a huge impact on the working environment.  It’s worth getting it right from the outset!