Abstract: Employee #1 was operating a pneumatic lift gravity drop hammer. He was placing 5-inch-diameter metal rings into the point of operation and cycling the hammer once. The hammer did not have an appropriate point of operation guard for the operation being performed. There was another hammer adjacent to the accident hammer that was properly guarded with an interlocked barrier guard. It is unknown at this time why Employee #1 did not use this machine but it is speculated that he did not want to change the dies. Employee #1 had apparently placed his left hand in the point of operation when the hammer cycled, cutting his left index, middle, and ring fingers off in the area of the first knuckles. The hospital was unable to reattach the fingertips, and had to completely amputate the middle and ring fingers. They repaired Employee #1's index finger with parts of his middle finger.