Abstract: On September 19, 1996, Employee #1 was engaged in a motorcycle handlebar polishing operation. The dual head polisher pedestal stand was a Hammond/Charles La Hammedieu, W0-20A lathe, equipped with a #320J grit cloth abrasive coated flap wheel (2 in. by 12 in. Shaeffer, Brad/Barrett). A coworker in the area said that he was standing behind Employee #1 when the handlebar was suddenly thrust downward and around the lathe's flap wheel, emerging at the top and striking Employee #1 in the forehead. Employee #1, who sustained a deep (2 in.) laceration above the hairline, was transported to a hospital, where he died at 11:00 a.m. on September 26, 1996, of a blood clot. The coworker said that the left vertical side shield portion of the lathe's exhaust ventilation hood was not in place, though he had told Employee #1 the day before that the shield should be in place. Considering the curvature/configuration of the handlebar, its contact with the flap wheel, and the resultant drag on the workpiece, it is quite possible that the handlebar could be swept around the flap wheel. This conclusion corroborates the coworker's statement. The exhaust ventilation hood configuration at the time of the fatality was not in compliance with 29 CFR 1910.94 (b)(4)(v), figure G-4; however, the plating firm was devastated by fire on October 7, 1996, and it cannot be proven that exposure limits were exceeded as specified in 29 CFR 1910.94(b)(3), which would have required compliance with suitable exhaust ventilation in the first place. There are no OSHA regulations to cover guarding in polishing operations. The employer is considering installing a bumper/stop block at the underside of the wheel and, in the interim, has instructed operators to wear head protection.