Altus Construction LLC: OSHA inspections and violations

Incident on Jun 23, 2018 (fatal): Employee is electrocuted

At 8:30 p.m. on June 23, 2018, Employee #1, a superintendent at the job site, was supervising an asphalt milling operation. The asphalt milling machine was used to mill six inches of asphalt on the shoulder of the interstate highway. Prior to starting the operation, an electrical line that ran through the asphalt and supplied power to street lights was located and marked at a depth of 12 inches. Once the operator started milling and the machine reached a depth of four inches, the electrical line was hit. The conduit, insulation, and wires were cut and the wires were exposed. The employee was uncertain if the line was for the street lights due to its location at four inches instead of 12 inches. He obtained a clamp meter and equipment to test and repair the line. When he initially tested the line at approximately 8:30 p.m., the street lights were not yet on and concluded the line was not energized. At 9:40 p.m. when the street lights came on, Employee #1 went to check the line again, and was electrocuted. The 480-volt electric circuit had not been de-energized, and the employee was not wearing personal protective equipment to protect against the hazard of electric shock.