Abstract: On October 26, 2001, Employee #1, another second-year apprentice, and their foreman, were tying in a loop of a primary circuit in a residential development. After the cable was pulled through an underground conduit into an energized 26,000-volt transformer, the men stopped while the foreman left the site for approximately 15 minutes. After the left, Employee #1 said to the other apprentice, "I'll have this finished by the time he gets back." Employee #1 then picked up a tic tracer from the truck, walked over to the work area, and stuck the tic tracer under the insulating blanket that was covering the energized section of transformer. It contacted the high voltage cable and Employee #1 received an electric shock that threw him backward and away from the transformer. He died shortly thereafter. Employee #1 was working without high voltage insulated gloves and/or an insulated handle on the tic tracer.