An employee was assisting another machinist with removing a finished part from a lathe. A crane equipped with a nylon sling was being used to lift the ~2,600-pound part from the lathe and move it onto a pallet. While the part was being set down on the pallet, the sling shifted, causing the employee s left middle finger to be pinched between the part and the sling. The employee's finger was amputated to the first knuckle.