Abstract: Employee #1 was using a large shear to cut reams of copy paper. She was pointing the shear handle vertically toward the ceiling when she released the safety pin that prevents the blade from dropping and placed her right hand between the blade and cutting surface to straighten the ream. Employee #1's right hand was under the blade when it fell, amputating all her fingers. She was comforted and treated by co-workers until emergency services arrived. Employee #1 was transported to the hospital, where her fingers were re-attached. The blade had enough weight and inertia to cut through her fingers without manually forcing the handle. Employee #1 was a technician in the reproduction department of Cal-Trans, and her responsibilities including making photocopies, binding manuals, and using large shears to cut paper.