Abstract: TWO EMPLOYEES WERE ERECTING DECORATIVE "WELCOME" FLAGS AT THE ENTRANCE GATES TO THE NORTH CAROLINA STATE FAIRGROUNDS. THE FLAGS, WHICH HAD BEEN LOADED ONTO A TRUCK, WERE ATTACHED TO 21-FOOT-LONG, 1.375-INCH-DIAMETER METAL PIPES. AT ONE OF THE GATES, AN OVERHEAD POWER LINE RAN PARALLEL TO AND ABOUT 10 FEET INSIDE OF THE CHAIN LINK FENCE ON WHICH THE FLAGS WERE BEING MOUNTED. THE TWO EMPLOYEES HAD ALREADY ERECTED TWO FLAGS TO THE LEFT OF THE GATE AND ONE TO THE RIGHT. ONE OF THE EMPLOYEES PREPARED THE CLAMPS FOR THE NEXT FLAG POLE, WHILE HIS COWORKER WENT TO THE TRUCK TO RETRIEVE THE FLAG. UPON UNLOADING THE FLAG POLE, THIS EMPLOYEE THEN CARRIED IT IN A VERTICAL POSITION TOWARDS THE GATE. THE FLAG POLE CONTACTED THE 7200-VOLT OVERHEAD LINE ABOUT 1 FOOT BELOW THE TOP OF THE POLE, ELECTROCUTING THE EMPLOYEE. NEITHER EMPLOYEE HAD RECEIVED ANY INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING WORK PRACTICES TO BE USED NEAR THE POWER LINES.