Abstract: At approximately 2:00 p.m. on September 12, 2002, Employee #1, a laborer for Black Diamond Service Contractor, Inc., was using a small portable hydraulic wood splitter to cut firewood. His right hand became caught between the splitting wedge and the end of a log, fracturing and lacerating his fingers. He was provided first aid at the scene and then transported to Tahoe Forest Hospital in Truckee, CA. He was later transferred to St. Mary's Hospital in Reno, NV, for treatment. The hydraulic control lever on the wood splitter required constant pressure to push the log into the splitting wedge. When released, the hydraulic ram automatically retracted.