Abstract: On May 31, 2007, an employee was using a Ryobi Model Number BT-3000 Serial Number 701082 9122, 10-in. table saw to rip a piece of siding or clapboard at an exterior location on a residential construction rehab job. The clapboard was approximately 6-in. wide, 0.5-in. thick and 3-4-ft long. The clapboard was being cut or ripped to an approximate 3-4-in. width. The saw blade in use was a Freud Diablo 50 tooth unit and was set to an elevation of approximately 2-in. above the table as thicker material had previously been cut on the saw. No blade guard, spreader, or anti-kick back pawls were in place on the saw. The employee, during the ripping operation, wind blew sawdust into his eyes, and he inadvertently placed the fingers of his left hand into the blade. The employee received an amputation of his left index finger and the middle knuckle, amputation of his left middle finger and the first knuckle and a laceration of his left thumb. The employee was transported a distance of six blocks from the accident site to Mercy Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa by the employer, where he was treated and released.