U.S. Department of Labor: New Bedford dock collapse could have been prevented

BRAINTREE, Mass (WLNE) — A Connecticut contractor could have prevented the collapse of a 200-foot section of pier in New Bedford where five workers fell into the Acushnet River injuring two, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

The October 2023 incident, in which a section of pier on Hervey Tichon Avenue fell into the river, could have been averted if Mohawk Northeast, Inc worked to determine if the pier’s surfaces had the structural integrity to support employees and weight of materials and equipment.

This is according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspector who investigated the incident.

OSHA issued the company a willful citation and assessed $161,323 in proposed penalties.

OSHA also proposed an additional $53,004 in penalties for four serious violations related to potential fall, drowning and struck-by hazards posed by Mohawk’s failure to:

• Provide fall protection for employees working on the pier
• Anchor or secure a crawler crane to the barge effectively to prevent its shifting
• Provide life jackets for employees working on the pier and an adjacent barge
• Protect or mark the crane’s swing radius to prevent it from striking employees.