Abstract: Employee #1 was inside a large, flat storage building, attempting to adjust a sheet metal cover over an unloading hopper in the floor beneath an approximately 39 ft high pile of cotton seed meal. The building was designed to load in from the top and unload by gravity through the floor hopper onto a conveyor. The building was being loaded and unloaded when Employee #1 entered to adjust the floor cover to slow the flow of cotton seed meal. Cotton seed meal rushed down the pile and covered Employee #1, who called for help on his radio. Employee #2 responded along with other employees. Employee #2 stood between Employee #1 and the falling seed meal to prevent more meal from falling onto Employee #1, who was already covered to his neck. Cotton seed meal then covered Employees #1 and #2, who died of asphyxia. The employees misjudged the hazard of falling cotton seed meal and failed to turn off and lock out the loading and unloading conveyors before entering the building.