Case Study: OIL & GAS

Reducing hand injuries through innovation, engagement and behavioural change

a scalable solution suitable for rollout across multiple European sites

Find out how
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Identifying the problem

Across their Aberdeen sites, our customer was experiencing a rising number of hand injuries. Their existing gloves were not delivering the required level of protection and the workforce engagement with hand safety needed improvement.

Prior to partnering with STALSEN, the company had spent three years working with another hand protection manufacturer to develop an impact glove specific to their needs. Despite the time and investment, the solution failed to meet safety expectations or reflect the real-world demands of the tasks being performed.

Key challenges included:

  • Impact resistant gloves that were poorly suited to the tasks being undertaken whilst also confusing for wearers
  • A trade-off between protection and all-day comfort, leading to inconsistent wear
  • Lack of consistent cut protection across their range, leading to a higher chance of cut injuries
  • Limited understanding among wearers of correct glove selection and sizing
  • The need to strengthen hand safety culture, not just PPE compliance
  • A requirement for a scalable solution that could be rolled out across wider Europe

The customer needed more than just gloves – they needed a partner capable of redesigning their approach to hand safety.

At a Glance

INDUSTRY:
Oil & gas

LOCATION:
Aberdeen, UK, with a rollout across multiple sites in Europe

ORGANISATION:
100,000 employees worldwide

CHALLENGE:
Rising hand injuries

SOLUTION:
Task-based hand protection approach combining technical innovation, wearer engagement and behavioural safety

OUTCOME:
Improved hand protection performance, increased comfort and compliance, and a stronger hand safety culture

FINDING A SOLUTION

STALSEN adopted a technical advisory, wearer-first approach, focused on understanding risk, behaviour and task requirements rather than selling an off-the-shelf glove.

1. Technical Advisory and Wearer Engagement

STALSEN worked closely with both safety leaders and wearers, listening directly to the challenges faced on site. This ensured glove design decisions were driven by real tasks, environments, and risks, not assumptions.

2. Task-based Hand Protection

A task-specific glove selection strategy was introduced, ensuring each activity had the right level of comfort, functionality and protection. This reduced complexity and ensured that gloves wouldn’t have unnecessary bulk. Being well suited to the tasks helped improve wearer compliance.

3. Sizing Education

Wearers were educated on the importance of correct glove sizing, improving dexterity, and comfort, as well as making them safer when working with machinery or moving parts.

4. Consistent Protection Standards

STALSEN simplified the glove range by introducing consistent cut protection levels across all gloves, reducing confusion and improving compliance site-wide. This meant that even if the wrong glove was accidentally worn, the wearer would still have the highest cut protection.

5. Innovation in Impact Protection

By listening to feedback, particularly that from wearers, STALSEN were able to develop a new impact glove, re-engineered to strip out the bulk and still offer no compromise on comfort, functionality or protection, with the added benefit of full waterproofing.

6. Behavioural Safety Campaign

A bespoke hand safety behavioural campaign was developed, designed specifically for the customer’s workforce. Using real people, real tasks, and clear messaging, the campaign placed wearers at the heart of safety – driving ownership rather than rule following.

DELIVERING THE OUTCOME

  • Improved hand protection performance, combining impact and cut resistance with all-day comfort
  • Higher compliance and correct glove usage driven by better fit, education, and task clarity
  • A stronger hand safety culture, with with wearers actively engaged in protecting themselves
  • A scalable solution suitable for rollout across multiple European sites

By moving away from a glove-only approach and focusing on innovation, engagement, and behavioural change, STALSEN helped the customer redefine what effective hand protection looks like – delivering safer hands, better compliance, and a sustainable hand safety strategy across their operations.

TALK TO US ABOUT HAND PROTECTION

Want to talk to the Stalsen team about your hand protection requirements?Call: +44 (0)1394 447090. Email: info@stalsen.com.Or complete the contact form below.