Knives!? We Don’t Need No Stinking Knives!
If ever there was a company policy that should have been ignored for safety reasons, it was the no knife policy of Transocean, operator of the Deepwater Horizon rig. Survivors of the rig explosion who were in a life raft almost burned to death because they didn’t have a knife to cut the rope holding the raft to the burning rig.
Given the wide variety of sailor’s knives, I am astounded that any maritime company had a no knife policy. Knives are essential tools for working with lines and rigging as well as a safety tool.
Stupid, stupid, stupid.