A range of jar openers are available that can assist people open jars so they can use bottled food products to prepare meals either at home or when working within a kitchen or food preparation environment. Bottle top openers are also available to assist with opening of small caps on medicine, soft drink or juice bottles.
Workplace solutions and adjustments
People may experience difficulty opening jars due to reduced grip or muscle strength, pain or restricted use of one or both upper limbs.
A range of jar openers are available from department stores and specialist suppliers. It is important to consider the reasons why a jar opener is required to ensure the most appropriate type is purchased. Some things to consider are:
- how much strength does the person have, can they support the weight of the jar?
- are they one handed, or particularly left or right hand preferred?
- can the person grip large objects but not small?
- does the person have the wrist movement to open the jar?
- does the opener need to be portable or can it be positioned permanently under a benchtop or shelf?
- can the opener be cleaned easily?
There are a range of jar openers available including:
- jar openers that are permanently fixed under a shelf or bench top, with the jar-top to be opened positioned into place, and the jar turned to loosen the lid
- hand held jar openers with a range of handle widths and designs that are positioned either around or over the top of the jar, requiring one hand to stabilise the jar and the other to operate the opener
- squares of non slip matting that can be placed over the lid of the jar to provide extra traction and reduce the force required to open
- jar openers with adjustable straps that are placed around the lid, tightened and the handle used to open the jar
- jar openers that are clamped onto the bench top or table which stabilise the jar whilst it is opened one handed
- jar poppers that are placed under the lip of the jar-lid and the seal ‘popped’ or broken to make it easier to open
- small bottle cap grippers that fit over the top of bottle tops such as soft drink or medicine bottles and assist to break the safety seal and open the bottle.
References
Divine 2010, Solving a jarring problem, State Government of Victoria, online, viewed 2 April 2011, http://www.divine.vic.gov.au/main-site/lifestyle/cooking/solving-a-jarring-problem.
Independent Living Centres Australia Inc. 2010, Household Aids: Jar & Container Openers/Closers, Independent Living Centres Australia Inc., Sydney, viewed 2 April 2011, http://www.ilcaustralia.org/search3.asp?State=WA&page=1&MC=32&MinC=2.
Sun Medical (no date specified), Household, Sun Medical Equipment & Mobility, Perth, viewed 2 April 2011, http://www.sunmedical.com.au/default.asp?ID=02&catID=1979&pos=10.
DoAbility 2010, Tap Turners and Jar Openers, Do Ability, Victoria, viewed 2 April 2011, http://doability.com.au/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=7_122.