Abstract: At approximately 6:20 p.m. on December 5, 2004, an employee was having difficulty operating a Franklin roll leaf stamping press, Model Number 8500, Serial Number 82241/50, at a plastic molding facility. The employee reported to his supervisor that the press was not functioning properly. The die was not returning to the top of its stroke. The supervisor was involved in repairing another piece of equipment and asked that Employee #1 troubleshoot the system that the employee was having trouble with. Employee #1 thought that the press may have had an air leak. The employee asked Employee #1 if he would need to activate the stamping press, of which Employee #1 replied "yes", but expressed that he needed to check the air hose out first. The employee removed a milk crate that he had just stamped, put a new crate in position and activated the stamping machine without notifying Employee #1 in advance. The horizontal piston of the press moved forward and pinched Employee #1's left hand between the piston and plexi-glass guard. Emergency services were contacted, and Employee #1 was transported to Queen of the Valley Hospital, where he was hospitalized and treated for a dislocated left thumb and lacerated web that was located between his thumb and index finger on his left hand. The machine was not deenergized nor locked out before Employee #1 performed troubleshooting efforts.