Abstract: At approximately 8:00 a.m. on December 4, 2006, Employee #1 was working for a firm that built fences, preparing fencing equipment for a scheduled job. He had planned to take a Lincoln tow-behind arc welder, with Serial Number A681155, out on the jobsite, so he started up its gasoline engine. The welder's engine had been idling poorly for the past week or so, and the firm's owner had asked Employee #1 to take the welder to a mechanic down the street. Instead, Employee #1 removed the engine cover and reached in to adjust the throttle. His right hand and fingers were pulled into a moving fan belt. The three middle fingers were caught between the belt and pulley, and Employee #1's index finger was amputated from the second knuckle. There were no witnesses to this accident. The office manager saw Employee #1 bleeding and contacted emergency medical services. Employee #1 was taken by ambulance to the University of California, San Diego Medical Center (UC San Diego Thornton Hospital) emergency room and treated. He was hospitalized for seven days, and he was released on December 11, 2006. An investigation determined that he had received safety training from his employer and that he was acting independently.