Abstract: At 3:05 p.m. on June 27, 1997, Employee #1, a leadsman in the production department of a steel wire manufacturer, was giving work instructions to a machine operator. A forklift passed by and its load struck a welding machine, which then fell on Employee #1's right foot. He suffered crushing injuries and open fractures to his first and second toes. He was transported to the hospital, where his second toe was surgically amputated. Causal factors in this accident were error of judgment in how the materials were handled, and Employee #1's failure to wear steel-toed shoes. The employer was cited for a serious violation of T8CCR 3385a.