Abstract: Employee #1, an USDA meat inspector, was standing in the hang room of a meat processing plant when the fragment of a bullet from a 22-caliber rifle that was being used to slaughter pigs in the kill pin passed through a small crack between the rolling metal door and the door jam. The fragment traveled approximately 20 ft inside the hang room and struck Employee #1 on the side of her nose. She completed her shift and went to the local hospital that evening to have the bullet fragment removed. Employee #1 was told at the emergency room that the bullet must be surgically removed, and it was suggested she make an appointment for the next day. Surgery was performed on December 7, 1996. After the operation, Employee # 1 was wheeled into the recovery and left alone for about 10 minutes. When the nurse returned, Employee #1 was found dead. The cause of death had not been determined.