2018 Dying for Work in Massachusetts: The Loss of Life and Limb in Massachusetts Workplaces

April 27, 2018

On November 3, 2017, Antawani Wright-Davis, 19, was stuck by a dump truck and killed while working for the food delivery service DoorDash in Boston. However, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), never investigated his death. When applying to work for DoorDash, Wright-Davis had to declare himself an independent contractor, meaning he would fall outside of the protections of OSHA while also making himself responsible for his own health and safety, workers’ compensation insurance, payroll taxes, and many other responsibilities that would be covered by a traditional employer. Wright-Davis was the youngest of the 74 workers in Massachusetts who died of occupational injuries sustained on the job from January 2017 to March 1, 2018, an 11-year high.

Today, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH) released a new report documenting the loss of life taking place at worksites across Massachusetts. Titled Dying for Work in Massachusetts: The Loss of Life and Limb in Massachusetts Workplaces, the 32-page report details how workers like Wright-Davis lost their lives on the job and what must be done to keep workers safe. Click here to view the report.