Abstract: At 12:00 a.m. on July 2, 2019, Employee #1 was unloading material from a refrigerated trailer unit that was docked in a warehouse distribution facility. The trailer was secured to prevent movement using a mechanical dock lock. Employee #1 was working with a Blue Giant Vertical Dock Plate in the upright position. When the trailer was in position, Employee #1 opened the overhead dock door using the primary control panel, located next to the dock plate system. The employee then released the locking mechanism of the dock plate and stepped between the plate and the control panel in order to step down into an open area between the dock plate and the trailer. Employee #1 then began to open the roll-up door of the trailer, but did not notice that the dock plate had continued to lower into position behind him. As the employee turned, he realized that the plate was moving into position and attempted to push it up. The plate caught the employee in the neck, leading to death by mechanical asphyxiation.