Abstract: Employee #1 entered an approximately 5 ft by 8 ft stainless steel vat to retrieve a small object. After searching for Employee #1 for approximately 30 minutes, Employee #2 entered the vat to retrieve him but became ill and fainted. Employee #3 then went into the vat to retrieve Employees #1 and #2, but he became dizzy and was pulled out by coworkers. Employee #2 was retrieved by rescue services and both he and Employee #3 were hospitalized for asphyxia. Employee #1 had already died of asphyxia by the time he was pulled out of the vat. The vat was being used to brew yeast for a bakery. Carbon dioxide is given off and oxygen is depleted during the fermentation process.