Billerica Police Officer Killed at Construction Worksite

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

5/6/2024

Contact:
Jame Jones, MassCOSH Communications Coordinator
jame.jones@masscosh.org, (857) 301-7730

BOSTON

The death of a Billerica Police Officer at a construction worksite, which occurred less than an hour after our Workers’ Memorial Day commemoration came to a close, is a tragic and urgent reminder that we must do more to protect workers at construction sites in 2024, said the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety & Health (MassCOSH) in a statement released today.

According to media reports, 49-year-old Sergeant Ian Taylor of the Billerica Police Department was helping move a trailer-tractor at a road construction site on Friday, April 26, around 2pm, when he was struck by an excavator that was backing up. He was then taken to the Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries.

This tragedy arrived on the heels of our 2024 Workers’ Memorial Day commemoration, in which we mourned the losses of the 62 people who died from work last year. Of those 62 workers, there were 22 fatalities in the construction sector, making it the deadliest sector in 2023 and more than doubling the number of construction fatalities from 2022. Transportation incidents, meanwhile, including struck-by incidents, remained the leading cause of death in 2023, with 23 workers killed.

Unfortunately, many employers in the construction industry continue to ignore these statistics and trends, even disregarding warnings from OSHA, putting workers at further risk of injury and death. In the past five years, N. Granese & Sons, Inc., the contracting company that was responsible for work at the site, has been cited and fined for two violations by OSHA for failing to follow regulations at excavation sites. Following this incident, which tragically took the life of Sergeant Taylor, OSHA is conducting an investigation of N. Granese & Sons, Inc.

In protecting workers from struck-by incidents at construction sites, all employers must follow these rules and regulations, issued by OSHA. Specifically, regarding vehicle safety at construction sites, OSHA has the following requirements:

• “Do not drive a vehicle in reverse gear with an obstructed rear view, unless it has an audible reverse alarm, or another worker signals that it is safe.”
• “All vehicles must have adequate braking systems and other safety devices.”
• “Workers must be highly visible in all levels of light. Warning clothing, such as red or orange vests, are required; and if worn for night work, must be of reflective material.”

“As with any worker lost on the job, we are profoundly saddened to hear of the passing of Sergeant Taylor,” said MassCOSH Chief of Strategy and Engagement Al Vega. “We are sending our thoughts and prayers to his family and loved ones, who I know just laid him to rest this past week and are still grieving. Having mourned the 22 lives lost to the construction industry in 2023 just an hour before this tragic incident, it is heartbreaking to see another name added to that list of worker fatalities. Construction sites and transportation incidents clearly continue to be a very real threat to workers, with many employers such as N. Granese & Sons, Inc. continuing to ignore and blatantly disregard worker safety. We hope to honor the memory of Sergeant Taylor by highlighting these preventable incidents and keep fighting to make sure companies do more to stop such tragedies from occurring in the future.”