Abstract: Employee #1 was employed at a plastic food container-manufacturing concern. Employee #1 was in the process of blowing down rollers on a large rotary drum grinding machine used to grind up imperfect plastic containers coming off the molding lines. The blowing down of the rollers was being performed while the machine was still in operation. This practice was usual and customary at the plant and such activity was routinely performed within sight of supervisory personnel. Employee #1 had not been adequately trained in lockout procedures and a safety interlock switch installed at the moveable gate guarding the rollers had been removed or defeated. Employee #1's left index finger was amputated when the compressed air hose he was holding was drawn into the rollers after being caught in the moving rollers. Employee #1 was hospitalized.