BOSTON–The death of two construction workers this past Saturday is a tragic reminder of just how dangerous the construction industry can be and how employers must do more to protect their workers said the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety & Health (MassCOSH) in a statement.
Around 8:20 a.m. on December 28, a 25-year-old man who was working for a commercial roofing company in Shirley died after falling from the roof of a 25-foot barn.
Less than two hours later in Boston, 34-year-old Brandon J. McSweeney of Sherborn was working for United Staging & Rigging when a ballast that was not properly secured to a forklift fell onto him as he worked to set up Boston’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration.
To date, there have been 47 worker deaths so far in 2019. This number could be higher as the MA. Department of Public Heath confirms additional work-related fatalities. In 2018, 21 workers died in construction-related events. That year, the construction industry saw the greatest number of fatal workplace injuries by sector.
“Too many men and women go to work, never to come home because many still view fatal hazards as an unavoidable part of working,” said MassCOSH executive director Jodi Sugerman-Brozan. “We expect that these two employers who bear the full responsibility for keeping their employees safe on the job will cooperate with all investigations and not seek to contest OSHA findings and fines surrounding the loss of these men.”
