These boots were made for… falling?

In a bid to warn Kiwis of winter dangers, ACC recently released information about a surprising ACC claim culprit – gumboots!

“We Kiwis are an innovative bunch and when it comes to finding ways to injure ourselves with our gumboots, we’ve pretty much left no stone unturned,” said ACC’s general manager of insurance and prevention services John Beaglehole, referring to the roughly 160 gumboot-related ACC claims lodged last winter.

According to ACC, most of these injuries happened while people were putting on, taking off, cleaning, throwing, walking, running and jumping in their gumboots.

Given that gumboots can often outnumber work boots on work sites, including construction, builders should ensure they select their footwear carefully – gummies for around home aren’t sufficient.

“There are a number of situations where gumboots are required rather than work boots,” says ACC business injury prevention programme manager Malcolm Francis. “For example, gumboots are perfect footwear for pouring concrete, as they protect the skin from exposure to concrete, which can cause major damage.”

However, as long as workers select their footwear carefully, they should be exempt from most causes of gumboot injuries.

“The most important thing is that, on a work site, people wear the correct gumboots – those that are non-slip with toe protection.”