A quarry manager drove a quad vehicle to visit the operating zone in preparing for a mine blast scheduled the next day. While riding along the track, he caught up with a dumper heading to the same place. Noticing a bulldozer coming head-on, the dumper driver stopped his vehicle to allow the bulldozer to pass (given the narrow track). The quad driver stopped 3 m behind the dumper. Since the intersection could not be crossed, the dumper driver backed up his vehicle, halting his manoeuvre when feeling an obstacle. Stepping down from his cab, he realised he had crushed the quad driver’s right leg up to the knee, as the dumper’s rear-view mirrors were incapable of detecting this scene. Along with the bulldozer driver, they sounded the alarm. Fire-fighters transported the victim to hospital in a helicopter; his leg was amputated 2 days later. The gendarmerie, the work inspection and the inspection authorities for classified facilities conducted a joint investigation.

The inspector of classified facilities reported several instances of non-compliance and breaches related to: information communicated to employees exposed to risk, an outdated traffic plan, quad use rules, speed limit signs, traffic rules for vehicles intersecting on a narrow track, zones designated for bulldozer movements, and safety measures aimed at widening the track to better accommodate site vehicles. The inspectorate ordered the quarry operator to immediately implement a system ensuring that just one vehicle was travelling along the particular track at any time.

It was determined that the quad driver had failed to respect not only the speed limit but also the 30-m min distance separating consecutive vehicles. He had also decided to back up his quad in attempting to prevent its damage rather than exiting to safety.