Palo Alto City Employee Killed In Work-Site Accident

From the City of Palo Alto: The city’s utilities department experienced a significant workplace incident Nov. 16 resulting in the death of a city employee. A five-member city utilities crew was upgrading an electrical transformer near East Meadow Drive and Middlefield Road when the incident occurred at 9:47 a.m. One crew member was injured and transferred to a local hospital by the Palo Alto Fire Department. He later passed away from his injuries. There are no other reported injuries.

“Our entire city family is saddened by the tragic loss of one of our own. Our condolences are with the family of our employee during this extremely difficult time,” said Ed Shikada, city manager of the City of Palo Alto. “This is a sad reminder of the risks involved in the critical functions that our Utilities employees perform daily.”

The Palo Alto Fire Department Honor Guard was posted at the hospital to pay tribute to the city employee who lost his life. The city’s utilities department has been providing electric, gas and water services to the City of Palo Alto for over 100-years and has a strong safety record. The utilities department has not reported a work-involved death in over 30 years. The city has notified California’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and is assisting OSHA with its review. The City employee’s name will be released once extended family members are notified.

This press release was produced by the City of Palo Alto. The views expressed here are the author’s own.