At 4:20 pm in a quarry, the rig hauled by a subcontractor carrying fill material from an external site tipped over onto the right shoulder of the road when emptying a semitrailer of quarried materials (0/80) at the dedicated unloading zone, while the skip remained in the lifted position. The driver was brutally thrown in the cab and sustained serious injuries to the ear; he was rescued by the loader driver and subsequently transported to hospital by fire-fighters. A mix of oil and fuel oil had spread on the ground; absorbent cloths and soiled earth were recovered in a hermetic container prior to elimination by a specialised subcontractor. The medical diagnosis revealed the driver’s right ear had been sectioned and a hematoma to his right shoulder. The temporary work disability would last more than 3 months and reconstructive surgery would be required. The damaged tractor was declared a wreck and the jackscrew on the skip had to be replaced.

The labour inspection office was only informed of this incident the next day. The administrative investigation, which was primarily based on emergency reports as well as on operator observations and photographs, emphasised a combination of several factors at the origin of this accident:

• an unstable unloading zone (rainfall during the weekend before) configured with a slight slope; the back right wheels of the semitrailer rig sunk into the ground and left a deep rut at the spot of the overturned vehicle;
• sticky materials subsequent to the rainstorm; the victim was able to manoeuvre with the skip raised in order separate the materials;
• overloaded vehicle (44.25 tonnes vs. an authorised gross combination weight rating of 40 tonnes);
• a rented semitrailer (since the rig typically used was in the shop for repairs) poorly adapted for this type of job: skip featuring a rectangular profile, the back door operating with an automatic unlocking system that was not controlled by the driver. Moreover, the semitrailer had not been equipped with an air suspension system to allow for verifying an eventual overload;
• failure of the driver to wear his seat belt, which caused him to fall onto the passenger side of the cab as the vehicle overturned. The exact point in time when the driver unfastened the belt was not clearly determined: either after vehicle weighing upon entering the site, or as a panic reaction when he felt the vehicle was tipping over.

The inspection report indicated that several rules stipulated in the safety guidelines had not been respected. The supply of fill material to the site was suspended. The operator adopted several additional measures: construction of 2 stabilised flat zones for receiving materials (the loosely-compacted zones were closed to lorry circulation by means of bund walls); modification of the vehicle circulation plan; information campaign to build awareness among drivers of the risk of overturning, the hazards related to excess lorry loads, proper use of seat belts and the new traffic directions; introduction of new signs displaying safety instructions in the material fill zones; and lastly modifications to the specifications relative to freight contracting of transport lorries.