An employee was breaking out a second employee at the banding station area. A unit of plywood came into the banding station and was automatically strapped but failed to completely clear the banding area of the machine. The first employee walked over and was using his left hand to push the unit out of the strapper when his left foot contacted an electronic eye that controls the sequencing of the bander and triggered the machine. The top bar of the strapping machine then lowered onto his left hand, pinning it to the unit of plywood and breaking the bones behind the knuckles on his ring, middle, and index fingers. He was hospitalized.