OSHA Cites Massachusetts Contractor for Fatal Trench Collapse
The agency cited the employer for a total of $283,115 in proposed penalties.
- By Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Oct 22, 2024
An OSHA investigation has revealed that a Massachusetts contractor could have prevented a worker’s death. In February 2024, the employee was killed when part of a foundation collapsed on a work site, trapping them in a 5-to-6-foot-deep trench.
According to a recent release, Aleckssandro Tomaz Pereira of Woburn operates under three companies — Boston Concrete Corp LLC, VMT Contractor LLC, and Boston Concrete and Remodeling LLC — and was found responsible for exposing workers to hazards such as trench collapses and structural instability.
OSHA has cited Pereira for $283,115 in proposed penalties, including two willful and six serious violations. The worker was instructed to enter the unprotected trench to prepare a foundation wall for waterproofing and dig out an area beneath the wall to install concrete footings. However, the trench and building foundation had not been properly secured against collapse, leading to the fatal incident.
OSHA's investigation uncovered a lack of proper training for workers to recognize and avoid cave-in and structural collapse hazards. Pereira also failed to ensure that employees did not dig beneath unsupported foundation walls, provide safe exits from the trench and prevent water accumulation in the work area. Also, employees were not adequately trained to operate the excavator or recognize its related hazards.
“Aleckssandro Tomaz Pereira should never have placed workers in this trench until the excavation and the building’s foundation were guarded against collapse, workers were properly trained, water was removed from the trench and an exit ladder was provided,” OSHA Area Director James Mulligan in Braintree, Massachusetts, said in a statement. “This tragedy was entirely preventable.”
Aleckssandro Tomaz Pereira has 15 business days to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA or contest the findings before an independent commission.
About the Author
Robert Yaniz Jr. is the Content Editor of Occupational Health & Safety.