Abstract: On December 23, 2010, an employee was working as the operator of an extruder at Lubrizol, in Wilmington, MA. The firm operated worldwide making specialty plastics and paint protection for the automobile industry. The employee was finishing the second shift, creating plastic pellets using a Xaloy pellet separator. The pellet separator removed water from the extruded pellets using centrifugal force. The employee was clearing a jam in the discharge line of the pellets while the separator was still energized. The employee removed the chute the pellets were jammed in and then used a screwdriver to attempt to unclog the jam inside the separator. Instead, he sustained the amputation of the ring finger on his left hand. He was hospitalized. The employer had a safety and health program and a lockout-tagout program. In addition, the employer had written procedures and warning labels indicating that amputation hazards were present. The accident was reported by the Wilmington police department.