Abstract: On February 16, 2006, Employee #1, a maintenance person, was replacing shredder blades on a hammer mill shredder. The shredder blades were over 9-feet long and weighed approximately 2,100 lbs. Employee #1 was inside the hammer mill to hook up a chain sling around the hammer blade so a truck crane could lift them out vertically. The blade would not fit through the opening, so Employee #1 used a cutting torch to free it up. While the blade was still under tension suspended by the crane, Employee #1 cut all the way through the blade, causing it to swing. The blade struck Employee #1 in the head and chest and pushed him into the wall of the inside of the hammer mill, killing him.