Abstract: At 10:30 p.m. on January 27, 2012, Employee #1 and #2 were attempting to blow down a boiler on the oil well drilling site, in order to shut down the boiler. The boiler was not functioning properly. While the employees were preparing to blow down and shut down the boiler, a furnace explosion occurred. Employee #1 was killed and Employee #2 received second degree burns to the face and hands. Over pressure caused the back plate to be blown off, and striking Employee #1. A subsequent boiler inspection conducted by the North Dakota Boiler Inspection Service identified improper blow down procedures as the likely cause of the event. The employer had specific bolier blow down procedures in place but were not ensuring that these procedures were followed.