Abstract: At approximately 5:00 p.m. on November 3, 1997, Employee #1 was working for a cotton gin company as a tarp roller and helper was assisting his supervisor and another employee on gin stand number 3. Employee #1 was hired for the spring season on November 1, 1997. The cotton gin has three gin stands which operate continuously for six days a week during the season. Repair work to the gin stand consists of replacing the gin saw which takes several hours. Gin stand number 3 was shut down and locked out. The other gin stands were kept in operation, which means the seed auger running under each stand, serving all stands, is kept in operation. The auger is 9 inches and sits 4 to 6 inches below the floor level and runs at 80 to 100 rpm. An access cover at the end of stand must be opened with a key. Employee #1 was inside the access area and his right foot pushed a metal cover plate back and up from the floor exposing the seed auger. His foot slipped into the auger sustaining injuries that required his leg to be amputated to mid thigh. Employee #1 was transported to Tulare District Hospital then transferred to U.M.C. in Fresno and later released to a rehab center. The metal cover plate sitting inside access area over the seed auger was not secured in place.