Abstract: At approximately 4:00 p.m. on July 21, 1992, Employee #1 was pouring dry sodium hydroxide into a vessel that already contained water and cyanopyridine. This mixture was to become zinc picolinate, a vitamin. This work was done under the supervision of a biochemical manager. Employee #1 had poured three 50 lb bags of sodium hydroxide into the vessel and had almost finished pouring the fourth bag when a large exothermic reaction occurred. Corrosive liquid came out of the top opening and covered Employee #1. He took two steps down the stairway but then fell the rest of the way onto the concrete floor into a pool of the corrosive liquid. Employee #1 was flown by helicopter to Sherman Oaks Burn Center. On July 25, 1992, Employee #1 died.