MassCOSH Remembers Our Fallen Brother

On October 6, Fernando Augusto Rafael Da Silva, a husband and father of two, fell to his death in East Boston at a construction site. His death hit the Brazilian immigrant community hard and was yet another tragic reminder of how dangerous the construction industry can be.   

According to the MassCOSH report, Dying for Work in Massachusetts, in 2020, construction was the second most hazardous industry for workers, with construction deaths accounting for 18% of the 45 workers fatally injured on the job, even though many construction sites were fully shut down for months as a pandemic precaution. In 2019, worker deaths in Massachusetts were also concentrated in the construction industry, with construction deaths accounting for 29% of the 72 workers fatally injured while at work that year. Six workers died from falls, slips, and trips on the job last year. In 2019, a year unaffected by pandemic work stoppages, 19 workers died from falls, slips, and trips and the hazard was the leading cause of death on the job that year, contributing to 29% of all worker deaths. 

On October 14, MassCOSH and our immigrant worker center allies organized a vigil in East Boston at the site of Fernando’s fall. Heartfelt speeches were given by MassCOSH worker center members, the Brazilian Worker Center, National COSH, and construction workers. You can view news coverage of the event here.