Abstract: At approximately 2:00 p.m. on August 23, 2010, Employee #1, who was employed fulltime by a grocery store chain serving the San Diego County area, was loading broken down flat cardboard boxes and unbroken down boxes into a baler. The baler was apparently manufactured by General Hydraulics of California, Inc. (Model Number "314-020-60" and Serial Number 3255). It was located outside the grocery store, next to the dock area. Employee #1 pushed the "DOWN" button, which caused the safety gate to close and the ram to go down and crush the boxes. However, one of the boxes got caught on the gate. The box was hanging outside the safety gate, over the ledge where the safety gate was supposed to eventually reside in its fully closed position. Employee #1 pushed the "UP" button to reverse the ram and safety gate and allow him to rearrange the stuck boxes. He rearranged the boxes and pushed the "DOWN" button a second time. Again, the box slipped outside the baler's safety gate and ledge. While the baler was in operation, Employee #1 used his left middle finger to nudge the protruding box back inside the baler, behind the safety gate, where the ram would crush it. At this time, the safety gate slammed down on his finger. Employee #1's left middle finger was crushed. Employee #1 required surgery, and he was hospitalized for two days at Scripps Mercy Hospital. The employer reported the accident on August 25, 2010.