Abstract: At approximately 9:30 a.m. on May 9, 2005, Employee #1 was using an excavator to cut a trench to lay sewer pipe. He was working under 7.2-kilovolt power lines that were about 35 ft above grade. Employee #1 was beginning to bench the excavation when the arm of the excavator snagged the communication lines that were also strung on the pole but much lower than the power lines. As he swung to empty his bucket, the tension on the communication line pulled the pole to the side. This gave the overhead power lines enough slack to get close to one another, resulting in a phase-to-phase jump. This, in turn, caused a line to break and land on the cab of the excavator. Employee #1 was not shocked, but he did sustain a head laceration when he jumped out of his seat in surprise. He was an experienced operator and this was his first day on the job. The employer did have a safety program that addressed working around trenches and overhead power lines. Four coworkers were at the site that day, but there were no direct witneses of the accident.