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 in Boston, when the floor underneath his machine buckled and he fell nine stories to his death. Following the incident, OSHA conducted an inspection and cited JDC for 11 violations, 8 of which were deemed “willful” and 2 “serious.” They were fined $1.1 million.

In 2023, unfortunately, there were even more workers who suffered a tragic fate like Peter’s. In total, 62 workers in Massachusetts died from workplace injury and illness, with five of them being firefighters who died from occupational cancer. It’s all outlined in a new report published by Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH) in collaboration with the Massachusetts AFL-CIO.

Our report highlights several concerning statistical trends. Too many employers continue to disregard occupational health and safety, and the incidents are almost always preventable. We hope this report is a call to action for all of us to prioritize worker health and safety.

Most fatal injuries were concentrated in the construction industry, a trend consistent with previous years. In 2023, 22 workers died on the job, four times higher than any other industry and more than twice as many as died the year before.

Transportation incidents, including motor vehicle crashes and construction 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 percent of all deaths from injuries.

The report also found that 18 immigrant workers died from work-related causes, their deaths accounting for a shocking 32 percent of all occupational fatalities from injury in 2023. This more than doubles the fatalities from 2022, when eight immigrant workers were lost on the job. In 2019 and 2020, meanwhile, immigrants accounted for just 13 percent of those who died due to dangerous work.

Beyond the numbers, we are seeing other concerning trends. Covid-19 continues to be an occupational disease, impacting 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 the disease.

The death of a cannabis worker in 2022 from work-related asthma, meanwhile, 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 that money is not being used to improve working conditions or hold employers more accountable for their workers’ health and safety.

Child labor laws are also 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.

We released this report as part of our Workers’ Memorial Day commemoration, for which we gathered at the steps of the Massachusetts State House with labor advocates and family members of fallen workers to read the names of those lost on the job over the past year. Peter Monsini’s partner, Alicia Anacleto, a member of our board of directors called on employers to do what’s necessary.

“Family was everything to Peter,” she said. “He was a man that was always there for his family or if he saw someone stranded on the side of the road, he would stop and lend a hand...Employers are cutting corners, not abiding by codes and safety protocols and something needs to be done so moms, dads, sons, daughters … are able to return home to their families after their workday.”

Al Vega is the chief of strategy and engagement at MassCOSH, a Dorchester-based organization that strives to ensure that all workers earn their living and return home alive and well.