Abstract: On March 14, 2014, Employee #1 and Coworker #1, employed by a pipeline construction contractor, were engaged in excavation work at a country club. They were removing a load of boring rods from a flatbed trailer. The rods had been transported to the country club parking lot in a semi-trailer, but they then had been transferred to a smaller flatbed trailer, because it was able to navigate the makeshift road to the excavation site. The transfer of the rods had been accomplished using a backhoe with front fork attachments. Upon the flatbed trailer's arrival at the excavation site, Employee #1 and Coworker #1 proceeded to remove the boring rods. The rods, which were 10 feet long and 260 pounds each, were organized into bundles of 10 rods. Each bundle was configured so there were two rows of five rods metal-banded together, with one row on top of the other and planking separating the two rows. Using a trackhoe (excavator), Employee #1 attempted to lift an entire bundle of 10 rods from the trailer without cutting the banding. The load proved to be unstable. He then attempted to cut the banding and remove five rods at a time. This, too, proved to be unstable, so he proceeded to remove one rod at a time. A bundle's lower layer was successfully unloaded on the side of the trailer where the excavator was placed. In preparation for removing the top row from the bundle, Employee #1 cut its banding from the side of the trailer opposite the excavator. With nothing to hold the rods in place, and due to a slight tilt of the trailer, the top layer of five rods began to roll toward Employee #1. Four of the rods fell from the trailer, striking and knocking Employee #1 to the ground. Employee #1 was killed. This fatality was investigated by Iowa OSHA. During its subsequent investigation, it was determined that, at the moment of the fatality, Coworker #2 was located on the opposite side of the trailer, across from Employee #1. The top row of rods was at a height of approximately 4 feet from the ground.