Abstract: At about 1:00 p.m. on August 31, 1994, Employee #1 was operating a Bliss #21 punch press when his left index finger became caught in the press. He was taken to St. Jude Hospital-Fullerton for treatment for a fractured finger. He was released from the hospital the next day at about 1:00 p.m. Employee #1 did not know what happened, except that when he had his left hand in the die area, the punch press made a stroke, catching his left index finger. Employee #1 said that he had been trained on punch press operation by the owner of the business. The Bliss #21 is a 45-ton press estimated to be about 30 years old and its stamped serial number is no longer legible. The press stroke is activated by a two-push-button control, but when tested, it did not require concurrent action of both the operator's hands to operate and it did not incorporate an anti-repeat feature. It appears that the accident was caused by a malfunction of the press. Employee #1 did not permanently depress any of the two buttons so he could use only one hand to operate it and/or permanently depress the two buttons to cause the press to operate continuously. There was no violation noted that would have any relation to the accident. Two serious violation citations are being issued with regard to the machine: T8CCR 4211(a) and T8CCR 4211(b).