The employee reached over a safeguard to push a coil towards the wrapping machine. While pushing, he triggered the proximity switch for the seal bar to come down. The seal bar came down on top of his hand, which was between the seal bar and the coil. The safety device, which makes the seal bar retract when it makes contact with an object, failed. The seal bar remained in the lowered position. The employee tried to pull his left hand out of the equipment resulting in the amputation of the middle fingertip.