BOSTON – The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a Massachusetts-based water and sewer line construction contractor for willfully and repeatedly exposing workers to safety hazards in a trench collapse in November 2025 at 152 South Shore Drive that claimed the life of Miguel Reis of Fall River and seriously injured another at a Yarmouth worksite.
The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigation into the Nov. 18, 2025, incident found that workers from Revoli Construction Co. Inc. were removing sandy soil and installing steel plates outside of a trench. While working, the backfilled sand collapsed and trapped two workers inside the trench. One worker was engulfed and sustained fatal injuries.
“This cave-in is a solemn reminder of the dangers construction workers face when basic safety procedures and safe engineering solutions are ignored. Through our trench safety initiatives, the Department of Labor remains committed to ensuring every worker returns home safe at the end of the day,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer. “We will continue holding employers accountable and providing resources dedicated to hazard training and required engineering controls to put a stop to these preventable tragedies.”…