Abstract: On December 20, 1997, a serious injury accident occurred in the production area of Chatsworth Products. Employee #1, a machine operator, had been sent to work on a press brake machine that stamps and punches parts. He had not used this machine before and was being trained that morning. The operator training him had removed the barrier guard to adjust the dies, and had turned around to stack some parts when Employee #1 put a part in the press and activated it without the guard in place. The tips of his third and fourth fingers of his left hand were severed. He was taken to Encino Medical Center for emergency treatment.