Company Owner Fined $4,000 for Contacting Overhead Power Lines

While operating a mobile crane and hoisting apparatus, the owner of a company failed to recognize the hazards of operating the equipment near overhead energized transmission lines. As a result, he contacted a 69,000-volt line, leading to electric shock and burns to an employee. The owner pleaded guilty, as a worker, to failing to respect mandatory minimum distances from an energized electrical utility line and was fined $4,000 [David Young, Govt. News Release, Feb. 11, 2015].