Abstract: At approximately 3:50 p.m. on August 7, 2001, Employee #1 was attempting to open the door of a feather cooker when steam and feather meal erupted through the door. Employee #1 did not have a flat metal shield in place in front of the door and he suffered second and third degree burns over approximately 10 to 12 percent of the body. It was determined that the cooker's "bleed-off" valve was not working properly. This was due to the fact that the vent line and valve were almost completely clogged by feather meal. The employer had no established guidelines for routinely checking or cleaning the vent lines. Employee #1 was hospitalized.