Massachusetts Contractor Faces Fines Following Fatal Trench Collapse
Federal investigators propose $4.6 million in penalties for Revoli Construction after a Yarmouth cave-in kills one worker.
- By Jesse Jacobs
- Apr 01, 2026
The DOL has cited a Massachusetts water and sewer contractor following a November 2025 trench collapse in Yarmouth that killed one worker and seriously injured another.
Federal investigators determined that employees of Revoli Construction Co., Inc. were installing steel plates and removing soil when the backfilled sand collapsed. The cave-in trapped two workers, resulting in one fatality.
The investigation led OSHA to issue seven willful, 33 repeat and 17 serious violations. Inspectors found the company failed to provide adequate cave-in protection, neglected to install shoring systems according to design specifications and used damaged protective equipment.
Agency officials noted the contractor also failed to provide a safe exit from the trench, maintained soil piles too close to the excavation edge and exposed workers to electrical and fall hazards.
The proposed penalties total $4,699,362. Revoli Construction Co. Inc. has 15 business days to comply with the citations, request an informal conference or contest the findings before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
OSHA maintains a national emphasis program on trenching and excavation to reduce fatalities caused by cave-ins, which remain a leading cause of death in the construction industry.
About the Author
Jesse Jacobs is assistant editor of OHSOnline.com.