Federal Investigators Propose Penalties Following Florida Utility Fatality
OSHA proposed $49,650 in penalties against Primoris T&D Services following a utility pole accident that killed one worker and injured two others.
- By Jesse Jacobs
- Mar 16, 2026
Federal safety investigators have cited a Florida utility construction contractor after an August 2025 accident left one worker dead and two others hospitalized.
OSHA determined that a crew from Primoris T&D Services LLC, a subsidiary of Primoris Services Corp., was replacing a utility pole when the equipment made contact with an energized overhead transmission line. The contact fatally electrocuted a lineman and caused injuries to two additional workers at the site.
Following the investigation, OSHA issued citations for three serious violations. The agency found that the employer failed to ensure employees maintained the required minimum approach distances from exposed, energized parts. Investigators also noted the company did not assign a designated observer to monitor those distances or provide necessary warnings.
Additionally, OSHA found that the company failed to ensure job briefings covered the specific precautions required for work beneath energized transmission lines. As such, the agency has proposed $49,650 in penalties.
Primoris T&D Services, which was operating as a contractor for Duke Energy at the time of the incident, has contested the citations before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
OSHA offers compliance assistance resources and guidance for employers to help protect workers from hazards associated with overhead power lines.
About the Author
Jesse Jacobs is assistant editor of OHSOnline.com.