Abstract: At approximately 2:55 p.m. on February 6, 1992, Employee #1, of Tri-City Plating, Inc., was using a cloth wheel polishing machine to polish the front L-shaped frame of an old brass clock measuring approximately 6 in. square by 1 in. wide by 1/16 in. thick. The machine caught the frame's edges and jerked it onto Employee #1's right thumb. His right index finger was severed at the first joint and he was hospitalized. According to supervisors, Employee #1 was hired a day before and highly recommended, with many years of experience operating the same machine. The machine was found to be working satisfactorily during an inspection. The area has sufficient lighting. There were no witnesses to the accident. The employer stated that they had no previous experience of such an accident and had no way of knowing that this accident would happen.