Highland Pellets, LLC.

An employee was changing a die inside the pellet mill of a press. The employee was using a torque wrench to tighten the inner bolts, applying pressure in a downward motion, when the wrench either gave way, or reached the desired amount of torque and completed its designed function to break loose. The employee's right thumb was caught between the wrench handle and a piece of adjacent equipment (the aspiration line) resulting in an amputation to the right thumb.