Abstract: At approximately 6:45 p.m. on August 18, 1999, Employee #1 and a coworker were working on the long workbench/table in the foam fabrication department. She was using cutting a Maimin round knife machine, type 87, serial #R87-11-11741, equipped with a 7 in. diameter, sharp-edged, rotating, circular cutter to cut a 6 in. tall foam pattern. After cutting the pattern, Employee #1 gave the product to the lead person and switched off the round knife machine. She also took off her left protective wire mesh glove and placed it on the table. Employee #1 was picking up the remaining 6 in. thick foam scraps from the table top when the Maimin cutter switch was turned on because Employee #1 struck it inadvertently either with her hand or with the foam scrap she was handling. The tip of her left index finger was amputated. She told the lead person about her injury and was transported to Gateway Medical Center, where she was treated and released. The Maimin round knife was not guarded at the point of operation. The back side of the cutter, near the operator, had a guard, but the front half, which was involved in the foam cutting, was exposed. Employee #1 was not wearing her wire mesh glove when clearing around the machine.