UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employee #1 was feeding a coil of metal into a Tishkin Ardcor roll forming machine, model F-15, which forms panels for lawn buildings. He had only operated this machine a few times during his 6 months of employment. He may have confused the machine with similar machines in the department that are protected by a Proxagard system that guards the points of operation in both JOB and RUN modes. The Proxagard system on the machine Employee #1 was using was protected only in RUN mode. Employee #1 was not sure which mode the machine was in, but thought that he was protected by the Proxagard sensing system regardless. He stated that he had both hands on the steel strip and was pushing it into the rollers when they suddenly began to turn and pulled off his right index finger. There were no witnesses to this event. There does not appear to have been any machine malfunction. The job bar requires deliberate, substantial effort to turn. It is spring-loaded to return immediately to the STOP/RELEASE position. Leaning against the job bar would not activate it. Although Employee #1 stated that he did not jog the machine and that he had both hands on the steel strip, the rollers were somehow momentarily activated.