Those who frequently work with knives, such as joiners, are being warned to implement effective safety measures when using the objects after a worker suffered a self-inflicted stab wound.
The warning comes after Derbyshire firm Cranberry Foods in Scropton was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £2,726.60 in costs as a result of the August 2008 incident.
It occurred when an employee at the company's factory who should have been wearing protective clothing dropped the knife, which penetrated his abdomen to a depth of four inches, illustrating the need for joiners liability insurance.
Melvin Sandell, an inspector for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), said that this was the fourth incident of its kind at the factory and he reiterated the need to put preventative measures in place when using sharp blades.
Recently, the HSE reappointed Liz Snape to its board in an effort to further reduce the number of serious and fatal accidents involving knives occurring in the industry, which may interest employers liability insurance holders.