PLus there's christ knows what infections you can get from cuts from unknown objects. I assume that's all been checked and he's OK, but the point being not providing 'safe' equipment can have very yucky consequences to what would immediately appear a relatively slight injury.
That's what the story said. I'd imagine the council thought it was a good idea to fight it on the basis that providing cut-proof gloves to all cleaners would actually be quite expensive. Course they'll have to do that now anyway, so it makes the decision doubly stupid.