News Archives
July 16, 2008
New Jersey Worker Killed in Electrocution Accident
On July 1, 2008, Javier Delaguila, 22, was electrocuted while trimming a tree in Lacey Township. Mr. Delaguila was working alone when the accident happened, around 11:30 a.m. in the morning. He was trimming tree branches approximately 30 feet off the ground when his pole saw came in contact with a power line carrying 19,000 volts of electricity.
According to the Lacey Police Department, Mr. Delaguila was working as an employee of the Ben Bivins Tree Service. However, the owner of the tree service company has denied that the worker was employed by his company. Mr. Delaguila was tied to a safety rope for fall protection, but it is unclear whether or not he received training on the potential hazards of working with overhead power lines.
Federal OSHA officials in southern New Jersey are investigating the accident.