Abstract: At approximately 8:45 a.m. on June 20, 1995, Employee #1, and a coworker, of Zoo Med Laboratories, Inc., San Luis Obispo, CA, were assigned to cut off about 14 in. of a 6 ft wide roll of indoor-outdoor carpet. The coworker was pulling the carpet off the roll to a measured stop on a table. Employee #1 would then use an H. Maimin Co., Inc., circular power knife to cut off the strip. The employee had put his left hand on the carpet near the blade when the coworker pulled the carpet to the stop. Employee #1's left index fingertip was amputated and he was taken to the hospital and released in approximately two hours. There was a metal stick guard in front of the blade, but the area between the guard and the blade was about 2 in., allowing the employee's finger to contact the blade. There was no guard on the left side of the blade. A citation was issued for failing to guard the circular blade. Employee #1 was right-handed.