Abstract: At approximately 2:50 p.m. on November 3, 2006, Employee #1, a journeyman electrician, was on a 6 ft ladder, troubleshooting lighting circuits at a site in San Francisco. He opened a splice wire to check proper A and B switching when he suffered a 277-volt shock and fell from the ladder, injuring his right hip and lower back in the fall. Employee #1 was transported by ambulance to San Francisco General Hospital, where he was admitted for treatment. Subsequent investigation revealed no accident-related violations, but Employee #1 had gone beyond the scope of his assigned work to troubleshoot a live circuit without direction from his direct supervisor. He had not turned the power off and he was working without insulated gloves, contrary to the employer's policy. In addition, when work involved conductors energized at 277 volts or higher, two people with the proper classification (i.e., journeyman) were required to work together; Employee #1 was working alone. The employer had held and completed a pre-task planning meeting. It was determined that the accident was caused by an independent employee act.