Abstract: On February 5, 2002, Employee #1, a production helper, was filling a grinding machine with beef hearts to be ground into a powder in a process that produces health foods. Liquid hexane was used to remove fat from the hearts before they were ground into a powder. Employee #1 processed four 55-gallon containers of hearts and had just dumped the last batch into the chopper, when he pushed a button to engage the grinder. An explosion occurred which severely burned his face and damaged the building. Employee #1 was hospitalized. Electrical equipment in the area was not rated for hazardous atmospheres, e.g., hexane vapors, and was a potential source of ignition.