Abstract: Employee #1, a welder for a steel fabrication shop, was using a magnetic clamp to lower two steel plates that were welded together. As he lowered the approximately 260 lb plates, the clamp released . They fell to the floor, striking Employee #1's foot and partially hitting a short stack of plates. He suffered a laceration and three fractured toes, two of which had to be pinned during surgery. The primary cause of this accident was the unexplained failure of the magnetic clamp, which was sent to the manufacturer for evaluation. A secondary cause was the placement of Employee #1's foot under the moving load.