Unnamed Worker Dies from Electrocution at AT&T Facility in Cambridge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    
11/9/2023  

  
Contact:    

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

Unnamed Worker Dies from Electrocution at AT&T Facility in Cambridge

BOSTON            The death of an unnamed worker who died after being electrocuted at an AT&T facility Tuesday morning is a tragic reminder of the hazards facing people working with electrical equipment on the job, said the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety & Health (MassCOSH) in a statement released today.

According to media reports, the 44-year-old man from Sturbridge, who worked for an unnamed subcontractor, was working on an emergency lighting conduit when he seemingly encountered a piece of equipment that still had a charge. After receiving a shock from the equipment, he was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead.

Unfortunately, workplace electrical hazards have a history of posing lethal threats to workers, especially contract workers. Last year alone, Massachusetts had three workers in total who died from electrocution that occurred on the job. According to data compiled in 2018 by the National Fire Protection Agency, 325 contract workers died from electrical injury nationwide from 2012 to 2016.

OSHA states that electricity has long been recognized as a serious workplace hazard. Due to the many ways workers may face an electric hazard, ranging from direct contact with powerlines to indirect means, such as malfunctioning powered office equipment, OSHA has a wide range of possible solutions that may be implemented to reduce or eliminate the risk of injury associated with electrical work. These solutions can be found here: https://www.osha.gov/electrical/solutions.

“We are profoundly saddened to hear of the passing of this worker from Sturbridge,” said MassCOSH Chief of Strategy and Engagement Al Vega. “Unfortunately, this incident is a tragic reminder of the many hazards people face when working with electrical equipment, dangers that are all too often disregarded by employers. We owe it to this worker and his family and loved ones to take these hazards seriously and make sure companies do all they can to protect their workers and make sure they return home safe each day.”