November 11, 2015 Celeste Monforton, DrPH, MPH 0Comment

Davide Nascimento’s work-related death could have been prevented. That’s how I see the findings of federal OSHA in the agency’s recent citations against his employer, A. Martins and Sons Construction.

The 28 year-old was working in July 2015 at a sewer-line replacement project contracted by the Town of Longmeadow, MA. The initial press reports indicated that Nascimento was trapped inside a trench when it began filling with water. I wrote about the incident shortly after it was reported by local press.

Federal OSHA conducted an inspection at the worksite following the fatal incident. The agency recently issued citations to A. Martins and Sons for two serious violations and proposed a $14,000 penalty. The company was cited for failing to comply with OSHA’s safety standards for excavation projects, including the requirement for a daily inspection of the site by a competent person.

When some local press initially reported Davide Nascimento’s death, they called it an accident. An “accident” suggests the circumstances were unforeseen or could not have been avoided. OSHA’s findings tell a different story. Call it cutting corners, call it poor management, call it breaking the law. Whatever you want to call it, Nascimento’s work-related death could have been prevented, it was no accident.

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