After Flooded Trench Kills 2, Mayor Pushes New Worker Protections

BOSTON, MA — As first responders struggled to recover two workers' bodies from a flooded trench in the South End last month, reporters were busy rifling through the safety history of the company that employed the two men and turning up numerous violations.

On Monday, Mayor Marty Walsh offered a proposal that allows city officials to revoke or deny carte blanche the permits of any company or individual seeking work permits in the city, if the applicant has a bad work safety history.

According to Walsh's office, the ordinance will require that those receiving permits to work within the City of Boston to swear and affirm their work safety history, including Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) violations. Currently, the city does not have this authority and is not notified of resolved or outstanding OSHA violations.

"We know how dangerous work sites can be, and in Boston we are committed to doing all we can to protect those working in our city," Walsh said in the press release.

Walsh's push follows the death of the two construction workers, who drowned last month when the Dartmouth Street trench they were working in suddenly flooded. The workers were employed by Atlantic Drain, a company with a litany of violations and fines from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.

The ordinance would allow a city officer in charge of issuing a permit to deny, revoke or suspend a permit to a person, corporation or business entity that has a history of engaging in unsafe, hazardous or dangerous practices. Applicants for permits will be required to inform the permitting department of any and all OSHA violations, both current and resolved.

The ordinance would go into effect immediately once approved by the City Council and signed by the mayor, Walsh's office said.

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