Abstract: On November 17, 2004, Employee #1, a machine operator, was at the welder work station in front of the wire drawing machine. The operator was placing the tail end of a spool of wire and the lead end of the next spool of wire on the welding table. Employee #1 placed the left end in the cradle with the upper clamp holding the wire down. The right side needed a shim to hold the wire aligned with the left side. While holding the wire in place with the right hand and placing the shim in place with the left hand, Employee #1 did not remove his foot from the foot pedal and applied pressure to the pedal. This activated the downward travel of the right upper clamp, pinching Employee #1's finger between the upper clamp and the lower cradle. Employee #1's finger was amputated.