Why Safety Gloves Fail: The Top 7 Workplace Injuries

Why Safety Gloves Fail: The Top 7 Workplace Injuries

Why Safety Gloves Fail: The Top 7 Workplace Injuries
(and how SNG can help to prevent them)

Did you know that next to slips, trips and falls, hand injuries are one of the most common workplace accidents. And, just like those nasty slips, trips and falls, most hand injuries in the workplace are easily preventable.

Each year in the UK, workers suffer cuts, burns, chemical exposure, fractures, and in some cases, amputations, but the problem isn’t a lack of gloves. It’s that the wrong gloves are being used for the wrong job, or the gloves simply aren’t built for the real demands of the workplace.

In this article, we break down the top 7 workplace hand injuries and the reasons most safety gloves fail.

1.    Lacerations & Cuts

2.      Cause:

  • Cheap gloves look good, but come with thin fabric that tears easily
  • Weak seam construction
  • Not rated for sharp-edge resistance

How Stop'N'Go prevents it:

  • High-strength cut-resistant yarns
  • EN388 tested materials
  • Reinforced palm and knuckle protection

Workers in metal fabrication, construction, and warehousing can handle sheet metal or box cutters with more confidence—and fewer stitches.

2. Crushing & Pinching Injuries

Cause:

  • Gloves used have little, or no padding
  • Slippery grip causing loss of control

How Stop'N'Go prevents it:

  • High quality and durable construction
  • High-friction palm technology for steady grip

Better control means fewer smashed fingers and pinch-point injuries around tools, heavy parts, and machinery.

3. Burns (Thermal & Friction)

Cause:

  • Gloves being used are not heat-rated despite being “heavy duty”
  • Breakdown when exposed to heat or friction

How Stop'N'Go prevents it:

  • Heat-resistant fibres for high-temperature work
  • Abrasion-resistant coating to prevent friction burns

Ideal for welding, foundries, automotive work, and high-heat industrial settings.

4. Chemical Exposure

Cause:

  • Cheap permeable coatings that cannot withstand solvents
  • Gloves degrade rapidly with regular chemical use

How Stop'N'Go prevents it:

  • Chemical-resistant nitrile and specialised coatings
  • Long-lasting formula that maintains resistance after repeated use

Safer handling of oils, solvents, paints, and industrial fluids.

5. Punctures

Cause:

  • Gloves with fabric-only designs with no layered structure
  • Weak fingertips where most punctures commonly occur

How Stop'N'Go prevents it:

  • Multi-layer puncture-resistant construction
  • Reinforced fingertips for screwdriver and nail hazards

Perfect for recycling, construction, demolition, and waste handling.

6. Repetitive Strain & Grip Fatigue

Cause:

  • Workers need to work harder (and less safely) to compensate for poor grip
  • Cheap gloves stiffen over time, limiting dexterity and compounding the issue

How Stop'N'Go prevents it:

  • Ergonomic flex-zones designed for natural movement
  • Advanced grip surfaces designed for dry, wet, and oily conditions

This reduces fatigue and helps workers keep gloves on all day instead of removing them when precision is needed.

7. Cold-Exposure Injuries

Cause:

  • Cheap insulation reduces dexterity
  • Poor grip in wet or freezing weather

How Stop'N'Go prevents it:

  • Dual-layer thermal insulation designed for movement
  • Winterised (fingertip like) grip patterns built for icy and greasy surfaces

Safety + warmth without sacrificing performance.

The Real Reason Workers Take Gloves Off

Even with PPE provided, many injuries happen because workers remove their gloves due to discomfort, lack of grip, or loss of dexterity.

Stop'N'Go make gloves workers actually want to wear.

When gloves feel natural—and work with the user rather than against them—hand injuries drop dramatically.

Hand injuries aren’t random. They happen when PPE doesn’t match real-world demands. Stop'N'Go prevents the top injury causes by focusing on:

·         Cut and puncture resistance

·         Advanced, all-surface grip

·         Heat and chemical resistance

·         Ergonomic comfort

Upgrading gloves isn’t a minor swap—it’s a major step toward safer workdays, fewer injuries, and higher productivity.

Ready to give your workforce the hand protection they deserve?

Browse our full safety-glove collection to find the perfect match for your industry and hazards.

Explore all Stop'N'Go Safety Gloves now:
https://stop-n-go.co.uk/collections/all

From cut-resistant and impact-protected models to chemical-resistant and high-grip designs, we’ve got options for every job.

Prefer to try before you buy? We offer sample packs so your team can test comfort, fit and performance on-site before committing.

Need help picking the right glove? Contact us for expert recommendations — we’re here to make workplaces safer and workers more confident.

 

Back to blog