That makes proper evacuation drills so important. Saftey equipment is worthless if people can´t use it in a panic.
A no non-issued knives policy may be result of safety considerations. In an environment with high explosion risk steel tools may be prohibited as the can generate sparks. Tools for working in such environment usually have to be made from special alloys. The tools are quite costly and wear out quickly. So people may not be inclined to buy them on their own budget.