A worker's hand was caught between the dies
of a 125 ton punch press when he reached into the point of operation to push
the shelf dividers that he was making through the die opening onto the
conveyor belt below the opening. While he was reaching into the die, his
foot was still on the pedal and likely accidentally cycled the press. He
sustained a crushing injury which resulted in partial amputation of three
fingers on his right hand. According to co-workers, the supervisor had been
informed that the light curtain was too low, thus not providing protection
for the operator. If the light curtain had been adjusted properly the ram
would not have descended while the employee's hand was in the point of
operation.
