Authorities ID man who died in construction accident in Boston’s Seaport

BOSTON — Authorities have identified a man who died in a construction accident in Boston’s Seaport on Thursday morning.

Emergency crews responded to a report of an accident involving a truck carrying granite curbing in the area of 65 Northern Avenue around 6:30 a.m., according to the Boston Police Department.

One of the victims, who police identified as 38-year-old James Chaffee Jr., of Westfield, died from injuries he suffered in the accident. A second victim was taken to the hospital. There was no immediate word on their condition.

Chaffee was crushed by heavy blocks of street curbing material that was being unloaded, according to the Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health. MassCosh Executive Director Jodi Sugerman-Brozan, a workplace safety advocacy group, says they learned the blocks are used for sidewalk curbing and are extremely heavy. It appears the blocks became loose and crushed the man. The federal workplace safety agency, OSHA, is now working to figure out how it happened. “I see them referred to as accidents all the time but almost in every case there is some way to prevent these from happening,” said Sugerman-Brozan.

The Suffolk District Attorney’s Office and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating the incident.

The fatality comes one day after a security worker died in a fall at The Country Club in Brookline.

MassCosh says the Bay State has had 15 work-related deaths this year, including fatal collapses at the Government Center garage and the old Edison building.

On average, the Massachusetts has about 60-70 work related deaths. “It does seem to be happening at an alarming rate. The reality is this is business as usual and that is what makes it so upsetting, " said Sugerman-Brozan.

BREAKING: @BOSTON_EMS confirms one person is dead and another was transported to a hospital following a construction accident in this parking lot on Northern Ave. It’s right near the Cisco beer garden in the Seaport. @boston25 pic.twitter.com/nYNeaALUvJ
— Kelly Sullivan (@ksullivannews) June 9, 2022

MassCosh has been fighting for stronger OSHA funding. OSHA investigates all work related deaths for the federal government and regularly enforces safety. “More enforcement would be more help. There is one OSHA inspector in MA for every 92 thousand workers. It would take them 169 days to visit every site,” said Sugerman-Brozan.

MassCosh is also trying to get bigger fines from OSHA. Right now they say companies who are cited just pay the fines rather than address the safety violations because the fines are not that high.

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