Abstract: At approximately 8:30 a.m. on August 30, 2008, Employee #1, who works for an installer of custom wood flooring, was working at a residential site. Employee #1 amputated his thumb while he was ripping (i.e., cutting lengthwise) a 5-in. by 2-ft piece of wood with an unguarded 15 amp Skill Saw (10" blade). Employee #1 was working alone, without direct supervision, at the time of the accident. Therefore, no one witnessed the accident. Because Employee #1 was experienced at the trade, his employer provided him limited training. However, the Employer believed he had directed Employee #1 to use a push stick, mostly for thin cuts made between the blade and fence. The Employer stated that the saw was generally not guarded because of the nature of most cuts made with it. However, the Employer did believe that the guard could have been used to make the cut that Employee #1 was attempting at the time of the accident.