Union Electric Steel Corporation

An employee was preparing to lift a 25,000-pound forging with an overhead crane using a spreader bar and a set of chains. The chains on one side of the forging snagged on set downs and would not slide into position. The employee used his right hand to position the chains to the center of the load when the crane began to lift the forging. The employee's right middle finger was caught between the chain and the forging, resulting in amputation to the first knuckle.