Abstract: At approximately 4:16 p.m. on August 7, 2002, Employee #1 was installing a new air seal on the hydraulic tailgate of a front-loading garbage truck, which consisted of a Mack cab and a McNeilus packer. This required that he position himself between the 1-ton raised tailgate and the body of the truck. Apparently, the tailgate fell on him, and he was found, unconscious, pinned between it and the body of the truck. Employee #1 was transported to a local hospital, where he was placed on a respirator until August 11, 2002, when the machine was discontinued and he was declared dead. The Medical Examiner listed the cause of death as asphyxia, secondary to mechanical constriction. A safety bar was attached to the truck to support the raised tailgate, but it was not used and no other positive means were employed to support the raised tailgate. The company did not have an energy control or lockout/tagout program.