Abstract: A graduate research assistant was working in a State university laboratory used by the university's Physics Department for niobium research. The employee was working with an evaporator chamber to anneal niobium at 1500 degrees Celsius and 1E-8 Torr. The annealing process had finished, and the employee was placing a plastic isolation tent around the evaporator chamber. As he reached around the chamber, the pinky finger on his right hand touched an energized part on the evaporator. The 4000-volt circuit part was located inside a 76-millimeter-tall, 38-millimeter-diameter plastic cylinder that was open on top. The energized part was not completely guarded against contact. The employee received an electric shock and burns. He was hospitalized for his injuries, and his burns required skin grafts.