An experienced arable farmer was stepping out of his tractor to shift some irrigation. Because he was working with water, he was wearing standard gumboots. Being in a rush to get the job done, he took a shortcut: instead of using the tractor steps, he stood on the front wheel and jumped down from the cab. He landed on uneven ground, rolling his ankle and chipping a small bone.
As a result of the injury, he was off work for three weeks, followed by another three weeks of rehabilitation where he could only manage limited tasks. While ACC cover provided some financial help, finding skilled relief labour at short notice to keep the business running proved nearly impossible.
Rushing the task was the primary driver, leading the farmer to use the front wheel as a step rather than using the proper tractor steps to climb down safely. Additionally, while gumboots were the only fit-for-purpose footwear choice for irrigation work, they inherently fail to provide ankle support when jumping onto rough terrain.
For an owner-operator or a worker on a small farm, an injury like this hits the business the hardest because there are no extra staff members to spread the load. The incident highlights how easily routine tasks can result in prolonged downtime when safety steps are skipped in the name of speed.
