Abstract: At about 8:00 a.m. on August 15, 2006, Employee #1, a machinist with 19 years of experience, was operating a shearing. The employee was working for Vought Aircraft Industries, a manufacturer of aerospace sub-assemblies, in Torrance, CA. The incident occurred at the employer's K-6 facility, when Employee #1 raised the hinged safety guard, inserted a shim into the far right side of the shear with his right hand and activated the foot pedal. The shear's right pressure foot came down and crushed his fingertip, causing amputation. The employee was eventually taken to Western Hand Specialists, in Downey, CA, where a small amount of bone was removed from his finger so a skin flap could be pulled over the wound and stitched to provide covering to the wound.