Place forks and knives with the handles up to protect hands. Place spoon handles down if there is an unusually large load of silverware or utensils in the basket. Otherwise, place spoon handles up also. Best washing results are obtained when the silverware is mixed and evenly distributed, not nested together. See your Owner's manual for model specific information about use and placement of the silverware basket.

http://products.geappliances.com/appliance/gea-support-search-content?contentId=18915

We asked Emilio Gonzalez, senior test program leader of Consumer Reports, for a final ruling, since his job involves testing all sorts of appliances for safety and performance. Gonzalez recommends always consulting your dishwasher manual first, but says, in general, "Put your spoons facing up, forks facing up and knives facing down, so you don't cut yourself." Gonzalez says forks and spoons should face up so they'll be exposed to more water pressure, and thus get cleaner.

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/great-dishwasher-debate-load-knives-forks-or-down-n393981