Abstract: AN EMPLOYEE WAS INSTALLING A PERMANENT GUARDRAIL FOR A BALCONY PLATFORM LOCATED ON THE FOURTH FLOOR ON THE WEST SIDE OF A BUILDING. A 69-KILOVOLT OVERHEAD POWER LINE WAS LOCATED WITHIN 8 FEET OF THE BALCONY. AFTER THE GUARDRAIL HAD BEEN PARTIALLY INSTALLED, THE EMPLOYEE USED A ROPE TO HOIST A SECTION OF ALUMINUM CAPPING TO BE SNAPPED INTO PLACE ON THE GUARDRAIL. HE LIFTED THE 18-FOOT, 10-INCH-LONG SECTION INTO A POSITION WHERE HE COULD GRAB IT. AS HE PIVOTED THE CAPPING INTO PLACE, IT CONTACTED THE POWER LINE. THE EMPLOYEE RECEIVED A SEVERE ELECTRIC SHOCK AND BURNS. FIRST AID WAS ADMINISTERED AT THE SCENE, THEN THE EMPLOYEE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE BURN CENTER OF A HOSPITAL. THE EMPLOYER HAD MADE NO ATTEMPT TO DEENERGIZE OR INSULATE THE POWER LINE. ADDITIONALLY, THE EMPLOYEE HAD NOT BEEN TRAINED IN RECOGNIZING AND AVOIDING ELECTRICAL HAZARDS.