Abstract: On August 28, 2004, a farm worker was assigned to a crew that mechanically harvested grapes in a vineyard located in Clarksburg, CA. He was employed by North Valley Agricultural Services, Inc. located in Sacramento. The grape berries, leaves, and vines moved via a conveyor to one of two cleaning fans (blowers) mounted at the rear of the harvester. The fans removed plant and other debris from the berries. . The employee noticed that the blower he was assigned to watch became clogged with plant debris, and he signaled to the operator of the harvester to stop it. The operator shut the harvester off and told the employee to begin removing the debris. The employee opened a hinged door leading to the blower assembly and placed his right hand into it, without realizing that a cane cutter blade was still rotating. The blade struck the employees hand resulting in the amputation of his thumb. The harvester operator transported the employee to Kaiser Permanente Hospital where he was later transferred to Stanford Hospital. The employee suffered a severe laceration with loss of bone to his first finger. The finger was surgically removed and placed on his stump of his thumb to offer him more dexterity in his right hand. The employee was released from the hospital on September 5.