Abstract: At about 10:15 a.m. on April 8, 1994, Employee #1 was making pallets and using a portable Power Driver circular hand saw (skill saw) with a 7 1/4 in. diameter blade. He was holding a 4 in. by 4 in. by 4 ft piece of lumber near the ground and was standing over it with the saw between his legs. The saw bound up and the employee pulled back to get the saw out. As he did this, he pulled the saw back against his right thigh, making a cut about 5 inches long that went almost to the bone. He also cut a nerve. The employee remembered that the saw guard was in the "up" position and was wedged; it had been given to him that way. Had the guard been operating, it would have closed before the blade got to his leg. Also, there were paint marks on the saw showing that the guard had been blocked at some time.