Dying for Work Report 2024: Dangerous Jobs Killed 62 Workers in Massachusetts Last Year

BOSTON On March 26, 2022, Peter Monsini, 51, was operating a piece of heavy machinery for JDC Demolition Company, Inc. at the Government Center parking garage, when the floor underneath his machine buckled and he fell nine stories. Following Peter’s death, OSHA conducted an inspection of JDC Demolition Company, Inc., citing them for 11 violations (8 of which were Willful and 2 of which were Serious) and fining them $1,191,292. MassCOSH reached out and was connected with his family and his partner, Alicia Anacleto. Since then, Alicia has chosen to turn tragedy into action by joining MassCOSH’s Board of Directors and advocating for the protections and laws that could have kept Peter from perishing on the job that day and helping other workers and their families avoid a similar fate. In 2023, unfortunately, construction became an even deadlier industry in Massachusetts, more than doubling the number of fatalities from 2022. To bring further light to Peter’s story and to highlight the many dangers faced by construction workers in our Commonwealth, MassCOSH Intern Jasmin Mena spoke with Alicia on what motivates her as she brings the fight to companies who do not look out for the safety of their workers, says a new report documenting the loss of life taking place at worksites across Massachusetts.

Today, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH) released Dying for Work in Massachusetts: Loss of Life and Limb in Massachusetts Workplaces, a new report detailing how workers like Peter lost their lives on the job and what must be done to keep workers safe. Please click here to view the report.

All total, 62 workers died as a result of workplace injury and illness in 2023. As was mentioned, the majority of fatal injuries were concentrated in the construction industry, which is consistent with previous years. In 2023, however, this concentration was even more extreme, with 22 construction workers dying on the job, four times higher than any other industry and more than twice as many as died last year in construction. Transportation and Utilities, Professional and Business Services, and Education and Health Services were the second most dangerous sectors, each responsible for 9% of all fatal injuries. Meanwhile with four deaths, Leisure and Hospitality was the third most dangerous sector.

Transportation incidents, which include motor vehicle crashes and workers struck by vehicles or equipment, remained the leading cause of death from injuries in Massachusetts in 2023. With 23 workers killed, these incidents contributed to 40% of all deaths from injuries. Workers also died from falls, slips, and trips (16 workers) and contact with objects or equipment (7 workers).

The report also found that 18 immigrant workers died from work related causes; their deaths accounted for a shocking 32% of all occupational fatalities from injury in 2023. This more than doubles the number from 2022, when eight immigrant workers were lost to fatal injury on the job. In 2019 and 2020, meanwhile, immigrants accounted for just 13% of those who died due to dangerous work, marking a dramatic and concerning increase over the past four years and raising questions about the adequacy of protections they receive as marginalized workers who do the most dangerous types of work.

The report also found:

Of the Massachusetts worker fatalities from injury in 2023, 53 were men and four were women. Their average age was 49 years. The youngest worker killed was just 21 years old; the oldest was 87 years old.
In 2022, MA private sector employers reported 81,700 recordable injuries, of which 43,800 required days away from work.
Fatal overdoses and suicides on the job claimed a troubling 43 lives in 2023, marking a significant increase from the 25 lives lost in 2022.
Five firefighters died from occupational illnesses in 2023, mostly from various cancers.
In 2023, the average proposed penalty for closed OSHA inspections that found safety violations was $10,015.12. Employer appeals brought the average final penalty down to $5,496.36, a 45.1% reduction. For many companies, absorbing the costs of allowing dangerous working conditions is just the cost of doing business.
The death of a MA cannabis worker in 2022 from work-related asthma has not resulted in prevention efforts in this industry, as multiple new worker asthma cases have been reported since then. The state sees billions in revenue, but it’s not being used to improve working conditions or hold employers more accountable for their workers’ health and safety.
Child labor laws are being rolled back in several states. Political leaders are ignoring decades of precedent and allowing young people to work dangerous jobs from which they were previously protected. Many states are choosing to risk the lives of their young people and allow some employers to hire inexperienced workers and justify paying them at lower rates to save on their bottom line.

The report also notes that COVID-19 continues to be an occupational disease, which still impacts the lives of many working families in our state. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health found an association between in-person work requirements and an increase in fatalities from COVID-19. We must continue to use the limited data and information gathered over these past four years to inform future policy and decision making around public and worker health issues. Nationwide, in 2022, it is estimated that COVID-19 may have been job-related for one quarter of all diagnosed adults. Long-COVID, meanwhile, is now creating labor shortages and workers’ compensation challenges. CDC had to direct the committee charged with protecting healthcare workers (HICPAC) to improve the drafted COVID protections, which failed to address aerosol transmission, ventilation, and respirators, and lacked input from workers, unions, and health and safety experts.

MassCOSH released the Dying for Work as part of Greater Boston’s observation of the 35^th annual International Workers’ Memorial Day. Tomorrow, at the steps of the Massachusetts State House, MassCOSH, labor advocates, and family members of those who lost a loved one at work read the names of those lost on the job over the past year and speakers took turns demanding actions be taken to make work safer and more just for all. We hope to see you there.