PLYMOUTH, Ind. (AP) — An electrical worker died from burns he suffered when he was shocked by more than 7,000 volts of electricity while helping to repair a damaged utility pole.

Jeffrey Cox, 48, died Friday from injuries he suffered when a piece of electrical equipment contacted his shoulder, according to a report from the United Steel Workers Local 12775. The union represented Cox, who was a journeyman lineman employed by Northern Indiana Public Service Co.

Colleen Reilly, a spokeswoman for NIPSCO, declined to comment on the Feb. 16 accident, but said the company was “devastated” by the death of Cox, who was a 30-year veteran of the company.

“Everyone who works here, when they walk in the door in the morning, intends to go safely home at night when their work is complete,” she said. “And that is a goal we strive to meet every single day.”

Reilly said that the company had commissioned a third-party investigation into the accident to determine how Cox had come into contact with the live equipment. Cox was working near Tyner in Marshall County when he was shocked.

Posted 2/26/2008