Abstract: At approximately 6:00 p.m. on February 18, 1998, Employee #1 was working as an assembler at an aerial lift manufacturing plant. He was working on a SL 26 aerial lift, sliding a weldment onto the lower boom. The weldment is a large heavy piece of metal somewhat shaped like a "U" that fits over the lower boom. It is installed by using an overhead hoist, and then it is aligned with the boom. There are three holes on the sides of the weldment and when close to being aligned a bar is placed in the hole. The pins are then put in place. Employee #1 slid the weldment over the boom but could not align it. He stated that the hoist might not have been aligned properly and the weldment was a few inches from the top of the holes. He was attempting to unbind it when his finger slipped into the middle hole on the side of the weldment just as it got free and dropped onto the boom. His index finger on his left hand was amputated from the first joint to the tip. Employee #1 stated that he was well trained in this procedure by his employer.