Abstract: At 4:15 p.m. on January 15, 2014, a 59-year old male lead equipment operator was working alone preparing to shut down a wood grinding machine. In order to accomplish this task, the employee had to disengage the clutch handle of a diesel engine while standing on an elevated platform. It is believed that, in order to have greater leverage, the employee was positioned between the clutch handle and the inclined conveyor belt. At this time the employee fell backwards onto an unguarded section of a moving conveyor. The conveyor was part of a belt system used to carry discharged wood chips from a wood grinder. As the employee fell, a control valve was activated causing the direction of the conveyor belt to reverse towards the hopper wall of the grinder, which was approximately seven feet below the elevated platform. The employee was pinned between the belt and metal chute frame wall of the grinder's discharge area. Emergency personnel were summoned; however, the employee was dead when emergency services arrived and body recovery efforts were performed. The employee sustained fatal injuries to his neck and torso. There were no witnesses to the fatal event.