Group Decries Recent Worker Deaths

Above, Chicopee Concrete in Greenfield, site of a recent worker death.

The deaths of three Massachusetts workers, each within a two-week span of each other, are a tragic and urgent reminder that we must do more to protect workers in 2025, said the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety & Health (MassCOSH) in a statement released this week.

On January 18th, 72-year-old Samuel Mooskian from Saugus was working at the Everett Home Depot, when he tragically fell to his death. While many of the details and circumstances that led to this tragedy are still unknown, MassCOSH said there is an open OSHA investigation into this incident. Unfortunately, his passing marks a continuation of worker fatality trends from 2024, when falls comprised half of all Massachusetts worker deaths.

We also know that, in Massachusetts alone, Home Depot was previously cited by OSHA for three violations in the past five years and was charged over $30,000 in fines. One of the previous investigations that led to fines and citations stemmed from another incident in 2021 when a Home Depot employee died on the job.

In the morning on Friday, January 24th, meanwhile, 66-year-old Matthew Nedorostek of Westfield tragically died after falling into a sand silo at Chicopee Concrete Service in Greenfield. OSHA is currently investigating this incident. According to their regulations, “Each employee required to work on stored material in silos, hoppers, tanks, and similar storage areas shall be equipped with personal fall arrest equipment…” that adhere to OSHA fall protection standards.

Lastly, 29-year-old construction worker Mario Diaz Obando of Fall River was working on a house in Weymouth for J&P Construction LLC on January 28, around midday, when the house collapsed amidst strong gusts of wind. He was then taken to South Shore Hospital, where he tragically succumbed to his injuries. Four other workers were also injured in the collapse.

“The loss of these three workers is not just a statistic,” said MassCOSH Executive Director Tatiana Sofia Begault. “It is a devastating reminder of the human cost of inadequate safety practices. It is imperative that we all work together to create an environment where every worker is guaranteed a safe and healthy workplace. We call on all construction companies, regulatory agencies, and government officials to take immediate and comprehensive action by Strengthening Safety Protocols, Holding Companies Accountable, and Increasing Preventive Measures.”