With the holiday season comes a whole new set of workplace hazards that can put workers at risk. Although fun and festive, the installation of holiday decorations can sometimes lead to falls and electrocutions if workers and their employers aren't careful.

Recently, a worker was tragically killed while attempting to install decorative Christmas lighting at an event center in Grand Prairie, Texas. The death was caused by electrocution while working on the morning of Dec. 2.

According to reports, as the 51-year-old handyman moved a ladder in order to climb up and connect the Christmas lights to electrical power, a live power line apparently came into contact with the ladder, causing electricity to shoot through it.

A witness working close to the accident said the employee moved the ladder by lifting it, and accidentally hit the live power line in the process.

The employee had reportedly been performing various odd jobs at the facility for approximately three years, and is said to have had some training as an electrician. He was permitted by his employer to reside in a portion of a warehouse near the center while working as a handyman.

A friend of the worker witnessed the incident and reported that the electrocuted worker was unconscious after the shock.

Workers and homeowners alike need to be careful when installing holiday lights as live wires are nothing to tangle with. If an employer asks an employee to perform a duty outside of the scope of the job, like putting up holiday decorations, the employer must make sure that the work can be done safely with the proper equipment.

Source: WFAA.com, "Handyman killed putting up Christmas lights," Craig Civale, Dec. 2, 2011