In May 2012, a 47-year-old maintenance mechanic of a paving company was electrocuted at a road construction site when a mobile light tower contacted a powerline. The paving company was contracted by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) to build a roundabout intersection and reconstruct the roads leading to the roundabout. On the day of the incident, the victim was assigned to take down ten mobile light towers at the site and return them to a local rental company one at a time in a company pickup. By 9:20 AM, he had returned three light towers and started taking down the fourth. The victim was working alone on the roadside while other employees were working at a staging area. The incident was not witnessed. The light tower was positioned off the pavement on grass under a 7,620-volt powerline that was approximately 24.6 feet above the ground. For an unknown reason, the victim apparently extended the telescopic mast and raised the tower instead of retracting and lowering it. The tower came into contact with the powerline and the victim was electrocuted. The electric current ignited the diesel in the tower's fuel tank causing an explosion and setting the light tower on fire. The other workers heard the explosion and rushed to the site. They called 911 to summon emergency services. The police and fire department responded within minutes. The fire department had to wait for the power company to turn off electricity before fighting the fire. It took approximately an hour to extinguish the fire. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1. Jobsite survey failed to identify the electrocution hazard associated with positioning a mobile light tower and or around powerlines. 2. Victim was not trained on jobsite hazards and control measures. 3. Victim may not have been familiar with the controls of the light tower. 4. Victim worked alone while handling mobile light towers positioned under a powerline. 5. The potential electrocution hazard of placing a mobile light tower under a powerline was not addressed in the Lighting Plan. KEY RECOMMENDATIONS: 1. Employers should conduct a thorough jobsite survey to identify hazards including overhead powerlines and implement appropriate control measures prior to placing mobile light towers. 2. Employers should ensure that all workers know the safety and health hazards and control measures specific to their job assignments. 3. Employers should assign additional personnel to observe and maintain clearances when equipment is being operated or handled in the vicinity of powerlines. 4. Agencies that manage road construction projects should require contractors to address overhead powerline hazards in the nighttime lighting plan. 5. Agencies that manage road construction projects should train their field representatives on basic knowledge and skills to identify high hazard working conditions at road construction sites. 6. Manufacturers should provide clear and specific instructions in operating manual on how to raise and lower a light tower.