Swanson Industries, Inc.

An employee was assembling a hydraulic cylinder and rod assembly with the gland on it for a ram car. A crane was used to support the rod while it was partially lowered into the cylinder to start the gland. As the employee was pushing down on the gland to start engagement of the threads in the cylinder some slack was left in the chain holding the rod, allowing the rod to drop and pinch his fingertips between the rod eye and the gland. When the rod dropped down into the cylinder his right index and middle fingertips were pinched off between the rod eye and the gland.