Abstract: At approximately 9:30 a.m. on November 2, 1989, Employee #1, a press operator, was operating an 18 ton full-revolution mechanical power press set up for continuous stroking and feeding. The machine jammed with parts in the die. Employee #1 turned the machine off, knocked it out of gear, removed the guard, and reached in with her hand (by-passing hand tools) to retrieve the jammed parts. The press cycled and the ram came down and closed on her right thumb. She sustained lacerations to both the dermis and epidermis of the right thumb. There were also severe bruises to tendons and ligaments. There were no broken bones or amputations. Employee #1 was treated and released from the hospital the same day of the injury. As of January 29, 1990, she had not returned to work. Causal factors include an inadequate guard (the guard did not utilize fasteners which would prevent the operator from readily moving the guard at will) and a lack of enforcement of the use of tools to remove scrap from the point of operation.