Abstract: Employee #1, of Hoffman Brothers Packing, Inc., was operating a sausage extruder, a TRI-Power Extrusion Master molding machine, model MPD. Employee #1 opened the side safety guard cover to clear a paper jam. He put his left hand in, the sliding table cycled, and the machine sheared off his middle finger at the first joint. Although the side safety guard cover was equipped with a microswitch interlock, a manufacturer's label printed on the machine warned that, in addition to the interlock, the operating lever had to be turned off and the service cord disconnected before opening the machine. Employees, however, were accustomed to opening the machine to clear jams, and relied solely on the interlock to stop the machine. Operators and maintenance staff cleared jams this way daily.