DIY Expert Advises Caution When Doing Halloween Crafts with Utility Knives

An expert in DIY advises parents to use utility knives safely this year when carving pumpkins.

Los Angeles, CA, United States – October 26, 2015 /PressCable/ —

Around the country, police departments and other local officials are offering seasonal safety tips for trick-or-treaters, but at least one local crafter suggests parents should start thinking about safety in the weeks leading up to Halloween. The industry insider, whose company sells tools and safety equipment online, notes that pediatricians and emergency rooms see a spike of injuries related to improper DIY tool use around Halloween. The injuries include cuts to hands and forearms from utility knives. A little caution around DIY tools would prevent most of these injuries, the expert said.

“More than almost any other time of year,” the expert said, “Halloween tends to bring out the DIY artist inside everyone from preschoolers to retirees. Because tools like utility knives and hot glue guns are so common and easy to use, parents and kids often forget that they can also be dangerous. It’s important that people follow some basic safety rules when crafting with real tools, whether they’re using a utility knife to carve a pumpkin’s face or cutting cardboard boxes to make a Halloween costume.”

While there are few hard statistics, most emergency room attendants note an increase in cuts and slashes attributed to utility knife injuries around Halloween. The news comes as no surprise to tool safety experts, who note that utility knives account for a large number of tool-related injuries throughout the year. When Halloween rolls around, the number spikes.

“The fact is,” our expert said, “most people rarely use a utility knife for anything more complicated than cutting tape or slitting a box end to open it. Because utility knives are so versatile and easy to control, though, they’re the tool of choice for making costumes and Halloween decorations from cardboard. In addition, many people use utility knives for carving fine details into pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns. Often, they overlook safety when using a utility knife because the tool seems so innocuous.”

Parents can avoid emergency room trips due to utility knife injuries by following a few simple rules, the expert told us. “First, remember that a utility knife is a real tool with a very sharp blade. Just because the blade is short doesn’t mean it can’t do a lot of damage. Always supervise children closely when they’re using a utility knife for any craft purpose.”

“A utility knife is a good choice for scoring lines into a pumpkin’s surface,” he continued, “but it shouldn’t be used for making deep cuts.” The thin, short blade isn’t meant to cut through thick flesh, and pumpkin juice can make hands slippery. When carvers try to put too much pressure on the small blade with slippery hands, the results can be deep cuts that require a trip to the emergency room.

The expert also advises that when using a good utility knife to cut cardboard for costumes, people shouldn’t try to make the cut all the way through the material at once. Instead, he recommends drawing the cutting line on both sides of the cardboard. “You can do this by tracing the line on the first side with the tip of the blade, cutting about halfway through the cardboard on the first pass. Turn the board over and cut along the other side to complete the cut.

Halloween can bring out the creative spookiness in just about anyone. A little caution and attention to safety will ensure safe crafting for everyone.

About: MJH Innovations is seller of quality products that make people’s lives easier. It is their company philosophy that good products shouldn’t cost a fortune, and they work hard to provide quality products to consumers for reasonable prices. You can find many of their products listed on Amazon Prime.

For more information about us, please visit http://www.amazon.com/Cutter-Containing-Retractable-Ergonomic-Master/dp/B00UINRKTI/

Contact Info:
Name: Matthew Hesser
Organization: Majon Internernational
Address: P.O. Box 880, Arroyo Grande, CA 93421
Phone: 805-534-9800

Release ID: 95041