Fatal construction accident at Brockton Hospital — which has been closed since fire
BROCKTON — An East Sandwich man has died in a construction accident at the shuttered Brockton Hospital.
A police spokesperson said Brockton police and State Police responded to a fatal construction accident at Quincy Avenue and Libby Street at 12:04 p.m. on Tuesday.
The office of Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz said Brockton police responded to a 911 call for a man trapped in an 8-foot-deep foundation trench beneath a Bobcat skid-steer loader. Scenes of the aftermath showed a Bobcat pitched deep into a hole. "The victim and the operator of the skid steer were leveling out gravel in the trench when the incident occurred," the DA's office said. Roger Porter, 63, was determined to have died at the scene. He worked for Stoughton-based LMA Services.
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It's been 18 weeks to the day since a 10-alarm fire forced authorities to close Brockton Hospital. No one was injured in that incident, despite a harrowing evacuation of 160 patients. Nearby hospitals such as Good Samaritan Medical Center have taken up the patient load.
The hospital has been closed since the fire. No firm date has been set for its reopening, though authorities have said they aim for a partial reopening this summer and full reopening by end of the year.
Signature Healthcare, which operates Brockton Hospital, issued a statement Tuesday saying, "It is with most profound sadness that we are reporting a fatal injury that occurred on the campus of Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital today around noon. A construction contractor was working onsite at Brockton Hospital when an accident occurred, killing the worker."
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and his coworkers," said Lorraine McGrath, associate vice president of marketing and communications for Signature. "We send our deepest condolences."
McGrath said the company is making grief counselors available to employees, construction workers and other colleagues who may feel sad or overwhelmed.
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The Brockton area is home to many people who make their living in construction. In March 22, Easton's Peter F. Monsini fell nine stories to his death when the Government Center garage partially collapsed. In Norwood, a worker was seriously injured Friday after falling two stories while re-building Norwood Hospital, according to WCVB. That facility had to close after a catastrophic flood in June 2020.
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said it is inspecting LMA Services Inc. in connection with the fatal Brockton Hospital construction incident. The purpose of an OSHA inspection is to determine whether or not there were any violations of workplace safety standards, said James C. Lally, a spokesperson for the agency. The inspection may take up to six months.
The district attorney's office said the incident remains under investigation by State Police, Brockton police and OSHA.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton Hospital construction accident kills one person
