Abstract: At approximately 8:00 a.m. on September 24, 2002, an employee was working on a Hickok ruling machine, Model FR-812, Serial Number 16436. This multi-unit machine was capable of printing bar codes, ruling, cutting and stacking the paper into different sizes. A roll of paper was fed into the machine on one end and the cut sheets of paper were stacked automatically on the other end of the machine. As the last part of a roll of paper was being processed, the paper stack got jammed which stopped the machine. In order to restart the operation, the operator had to realign the sheets of paper manually and then push the start button. As he had previously done several times before, the employee began to realign the stack manually. While doing so, the pneumatically controlled retractor mechanism unexpectedly started and the employee's right little finger was crushed between the moving retractor and a stationary part of the machine. His finger was crushed up to the second knuckle. He was immediately taken to Anaheim General Hospital and surgery was performed to repair the damaged finger. The employee was hospitalized overnight and was released around noon the next day. The reconstructive surgery did not succeed and the finger was amputated on October 1, 2002.