Abstract: A plant was in the final stage of construction, and conductors were being run to equipment in the plant. An electrician and his helper had worked all morning to install wiring for a battery charger. The electrician had earlier tried to run a metal fish tape through a conduit to the main panelboard to measure the length of the run, but the tape had gotten stuck. Just before lunch, a supervisor told the electrician that the measurement was needed so that the conductors for the run could be ordered. When the electrician and his helper returned from lunch, they went to the panelboard to complete the measurement. Using another metal fish tape, the electrician tried to hook this tape onto the stuck tape so that it could be pulled through to the panelboard. The electrician's helper was standing about 5 feet away, trying to keep the slack out of the tape so that it would not contact an energized busbar in the panelboard. Despite the helper's efforts, a loop, kink, or slack in the tape contacted the 480-volt busbar and caused an electrical fault. The ensuing electric arc burned both employees and ignited the electrician's clothing. A third employee was burned as he tried to dowse the burning clothing. The third employee was treated for his injuries at a hospital and was released the same day. The electrician and his helper were hospitalized for their injuries. The helper was released the next day, but the electrician died of his injuries on March 19, 1993, 52 days after the accident. A toolbox safety meeting had been held and included discussions of safety requirements for working on energized equipment and of the need to keep helpers out of energized equipment. There was no discussion of the need to guard live parts, however.