Abstract: Employee #1 and a coworker replaced a structural member on a skid steer front-end loader, but added too much hydraulic fluid once the replacement was complete. To drain the excess fluid, they needed to remove the plug on the hydraulic arm. At this point the loader's bucket was about 4 ft off the ground, and the rear structural brace, which connected the left and right lifting mechanisms, had been elevated above the engine compartment housing. This allowed Employee #1 enough room to stick his head between the engine housing and the moving structural member. While he did this, his coworker removed the plug on the hydraulic arm, which caused the hydraulic fluid to shoot out. This released a considerable amount of hydraulic pressure and the bucket fell to the ground. As it did so, the structural member lowered, crushing Employee #1's head. He was killed. The lifting arms and bucket were not in a pinned or supported position.