Construction Worker Dies from Fall at Salem Worksite
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8/22/2025
Contact:
Hazel Jones, MassCOSH Communications Coordinator
hazel.jones@masscosh.org
(857) 301-7730
BOSTON The death of construction worker Carlos Ernesto Hernandez at a worksite in Salem is a tragic and urgent reminder that we must do more to protect construction workers from falling hazards, said the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety & Health (MassCOSH) in a statement released today.
According to media reports, the 34-year-old construction worker was working on the rooftop of a five-story building in Salem on Friday, August 8, around 12:11pm, when he tragically fell to his death. In video coverage at the scene of the incident, there appears to be a brush and can near the edge of the rooftop, with no visible fall protection in place.
This building is one of three being built on the Grove Street Landing site, a construction project being overseen by general contractor Essex Builders Corp. Essex Builders Corp., along with subcontractors G&H Construction, Inc. and Iga General Construction Corp. are all facing investigations from OSHA following this incident. Notably, both Essex Builders Corp. and G&H Construction, Inc. have been cited previously for serious violations from OSHA in the past five years. G&H was cited just last year for failing to provide fall protection for workers on rooftops.
Unfortunately, falling hazards pose tremendous risk as employers (both in the construction industry and elsewhere) continue to neglect the health and safety of their workers. In 2024, 20 workers in Massachusetts died from injuries due to falls, while this is the 11th workplace fatality from falling in Massachusetts in 2025. Fatalities from falling also made up half of the 18 workers in the Massachusetts construction industry who died last year.
“Our hearts go out to the friends, family, and loved ones of Carlos,” said MassCOSH Executive Director Tatiana Sofia Begault. “Falling hazards at construction sites continue to be a very real threat to workers, with many companies continuing to disregard safety regulations, even after prior warnings and citations from OSHA. Every worker deserves to return home safe from work each day. We hope this incident can serve as a tragic reminder that more must be done to ensure sufficient fall protection at rooftop jobsites. The fatalities are a crucial indicator of negligence and assault to human dignity; it is a crime against all workers who remain unsafe working under extreme circumstances.”