Abstract: On November 19, 1999, two employees went to a hoisting drum to untangle the wire rope while a third employee stayed at ground level to operate the hoisting drum motor controls. The accident occurred at a company that conducts secondary lead smelting operations. The company uses an inclined skip hoist to dump the lead into a furnace. The skip hoist is raised and lowered by using a wire rope on a hoisting drum. At the time of the accident, the skip hoist got stuck during its operation, but the wire rope continued to come off the hoisting drum. The wire rope continued to tangle until the operating controls could be shut off. Employee #1 went to the hoisting drum to observe the operation and to provide assistance as necessary. A second employee went to the hoisting drum to straighten out the wire rope. A third employee was on the ground floor operating the hoisting drum motor controls. As the second employee straightened out the wire rope, Employee #1 stood at the side of the hoisting drum drive motor with his hands on the unguarded drive belts and pulleys. The second employee untangled the wire rope and yelled down to the third employee to start up the hoisting drum motor to take up the slack wire rope. When the third employee started up the hoisting drum motor, Employee #1 still had his right hand on the unguarded drive belts. The right thumb of Employee #1 was caught between the drive belts and the hoisting drum pulley, amputating his right thumb.