Abstract: At approximately 11:45 a.m. on October 2, 1990, Employee #1 was operating a radial arm saw. He said he had to cut 300, 2 in. by 2 in. by 2 ft redwood pickets from random lengths of 2 in. by 6 in. stock. He had cut all the boards to 2 ft and was ripping the 2 in. by 6 in. pieces into three, 2 in. by 2 in. pieces. While he was making the last cut on a 2 in. by 6 in. (2 in. by 4 in.), Employee #1 reached around to take off the outside cut piece with his left hand. The 2 in. by 2 in. by 2 ft piece struck the back side of the saw blade, causing the wood piece to be pulled back into the blade. Employee #1's thumb was cut by the blade. He was taken to Eastern Plumas Hospital in Portola for treatment; the pad on the tip of his left thumb had to be reattached and repaired. A skin graft was used to repair the damage. The accident did not meet the definition of serious as there was no bone involvement and Employee #1 was released from the hospital the same day.