Abstract: At approximately 2:34 p.m. on March 1, 2005, Employee #1 worked for a facility that took dead cows and processed them for pet food. Dead cows arrived at the facility in semi-trailers with tailgates that opened from the bottom and pivoted on a hinge at the top. When in the open position, the tailgates were secured at the top with a wire rope. In order to remove a carcass from the truck Employee #1 had to walk under the tailgate and place a chain around the carcass. A bobcat operator then pulled the carcass out of the semi-trailer, by means of a chain fastened around the carcass. It was estimated that each trailer contained 20 to 30 cows depending on the size of the cows. At the time of the accident, the trailer was empty. Upon returning to the truck, after moving a carcass to another section of the facility, the bobcat operator found Employee #1 lying on the ground unconscious. Employee #1 was struck in the chest, by a tailgate that became unhooked. The crushing force of the tailgate killed Employee #1.