Wood & Clay, Inc.

An employee was setting up the wood shaper to cut raised panels for a custom, built-in project. The employee, as part of the set-up process, was running scrap wood through the shaper after every adjustment to check the depth of cut. The employee pushed a piece of scrap wood through the shaper after an adjustment to the cutter head. When the employee's hand was above the cutting head, the cutting head was bound on the wood and pulled it down, rolling it into the cutting head. The cutting head then came through the upper surface of the wood and amputated the employee's left ring finger to just below the first knuckle, the left middle finger to the first knuckle, and the left index finger to just below the nail bed. The cutting head was not guarded at the time.