Electrical Contractor Failed to Warn About Live Lines, OSHA Says

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that Dexter Fortson Associates Inc., an electrical contractor, failed to take critical safety measures that could have prevented the electrocution of a 44-year-old foreman during storm recovery efforts, the agency said Thursday.

The foreman suffered fatal electrocution while trying to replace a broken switch on energized overhead power lines, according to OSHA.

OSHA investigators determined that the company exposed employees to electrical hazards by permitting the use of expired electrical protective equipment, failing to ensure workers’ ability to recognize and address electrical hazards, neglecting to provide adequate briefings on job hazards and ...