Abstract: Employee #1, the lead man, placed a ladder into an 8 ft in diameter by 16 ft 9 in. deep tank that contained scrap chicken parts to be cooked at a rendering plant. He intended to service a piece of metal that had broken from the agitator. On his third attempt to reach the metal piece, and after retrieving a respirator, he apparently was overcome by fumes or lack of oxygen, and fell into the approximately 4 ft 3 in. deep mix of chicken parts. Employee #2 attempted to rescue Employee #1, but he was also overcome and fell into the tank. A coworker who had remained on the floor ran to get help. Employees #1 and #2 died from lack of oxygen within the tank.