Abstract: At 7:00 a.m. on October 20, 1999, Employee #1, a machine operator or helper, suffered an amputation of his right eye while setting-up and aligning the top and bottom dies on a hydraulic punch press. Employee #1 had been working for two years as a leased helper at a steel plate and sheet metal fabrication facility, and had been operating the ironworker press intermittently for about one year. At the time of the accident, Employee #1 was performing routine die set-up duties, specifically attempting to check alignment of the top and bottom dies. While he had been wearing safety glasses at all times, Employee #1 removed them temporarily to obtain a better view of the point of operation. Although the hydraulic press ram had been moving at a very low speed, being hydraulically operated, the bottom die chipped on contact, and projected splinters into Employee #1's right eye, causing profuse bleeding. Employee #1 was transported by the employer to the Alameda Medical Group, and subsequently to LA County USC Hospital, where he received surgery for removal of the eye. There were no witnesses to the accident. Information regarding the machine operation procedures was gathered from interviews of the department foreman, and of two operators, Employee #1 included.