Abstract: At 1:00 p.m. on or about April 4, 1997, Employee #1 was operating a 36-ton L & J partial revolution mechanical power punch press. He was using pullbacks as safeguards and feeding in material with his hands; the press was cycled by a foot control. Employee #1 would put a small piece of metal in the middle of the die area with his right hand and step then step on the foot trip to cycle the press and coin the part. The part would fall out of the die area by itself. Employee #1 said he had was removing his hand from the die area when the ram started to come down on its own, and caught the tip of his index finger in the die area. His finger was amputated just below the fingernail.