Abstract: On January 29, 2007, a control operator was employed by a manufacturer of composite materials. The worker was assigned to clean the Number 3 Graco resin pump. The pump was connected to a source of air and was lowered into a 5-gallon pail of acetone so that the shaft and paddle were immersed in the acetone. The pump was turned on, and solvent circulated through the system. The process was to be repeated with a second pail of acetone to ensure proper cleaning. After the first cycle was completed, the worker closed the air ball-valve that fed the pump and reached for the first pail. The priming piston activated, and the pump's paddle caught the tip of the worker's gloved left ring finger and pinched it. The worker's fingertip was crushed, and his finger was surgically amputated at the first joint. The worker did not require hospitalization.