Mine Worker – On Daily Glove Use and Skin Irritation
Jens Stålnacke – began using DRYE liners 5 July 2022
Interviewed 13 September 2024
Jens spends full workdays in protective gloves under demanding conditions. In this interview, he talks openly about what led him to try the liners — and how things have changed since.
Jens has spent most of his adult life working underground. He joined LKAB in May 2016 – and not long after, the issues with his hands began.
“It started out with red, irritated skin. Not open wounds like in the photos you’ve seen now. But it kept getting worse over time.”
Were you wearing gloves at that point?
“Yeah – the thick, heavy-duty rubber gloves. Waterproof. Standard issue.”
A year or two later, things escalated.
“That’s when the real problems started. Pain, open wounds, cracked skin. Around 2017, maybe 2018.”
What did you try before?
“Cotton gloves. Different types, just trying to find something that fit well. I wore them underneath my regular gloves. Sometimes it got better, then worse again. Back and forth.”
He also experimented with moisturizers.
“I’ve been sloppy with hand creams, to be honest. Tried different brands to find one that worked. Some made it worse. Some did nothing.”
It wasn’t until he joined LKAB’s PSU group that he was introduced to something different – a glove liner designed not to absorb moisture, but to move it away from the skin.
“That’s when I got to try your liners. I wear them underneath now. And yeah, I still moisturize – but just once a day. Sometimes I even forget. My hands are… honestly, normal now.”
Do you wash the liners?
“Yeah, I throw them in the company laundry. 60°C, sometimes too hot in the dryer. But they hold up. They come back looking like new.”
What would you say to others dealing with the same issues?
“Stop buying cotton gloves. They fall apart, stink, get filthy. They don’t help. They’re just a temporary barrier. Your liners actually make a difference – and I’ve got my own hands to prove it.”
Moisture, he says, is a constant challenge underground.
“Whether we’re washing equipment or standing in the mine, it just stays there. Eventually it goes away – but it takes time. Your liners help bridge that gap.”
Full interview with English subtitles available.