Bulldozer accident kills worker

Bulldozer accident kills worker

+ click to enlarge News staff photo by Damien Fisher This is the site behind the Phillipston police station where a Winchester mad died in a bulldozer accident. Damien Fisher News Staff Writer PHILLIPSTON — The engines were silent on Thursday, as the bulldozers and backhoes sat empty at the construction site where a man died. The Winchester man’s death at the construction site behind the police station is now being investigated by Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr.’s Office, as well as investigators with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Paul Troisi, 60, died Wednesday after being backed over by a bulldozer, said Tim Connolly, spokesman for Early’s office. Troisi was one of the workers at the site, excavating the field to turn it into a park. Connolly said that the death is not deemed to be suspicious, and that it appears likely that it was an accident. No one else was hurt, Connolly said. The DA’s office was notified of the accident around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Phillipston police and first responders, as well as Massachusetts State Police troopers from the Athol barracks responded to the scene. Connolly said that Troisi was found dead at the scene. The Office of the Massachusetts Medical Examiner has accepted the case and will perform an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death, Connolly said. While the DA’s office is investigating, Connolly characterized the fatality as being an industrial accident. Mary Hoy, a representative with OSHA, said her office is also conducting its own investigation. While she declined to speak to the specifics of Wednesday’s incident, she said OSHA typically looks to determine what happened, why it happened, and if there were any violations of OSHA standards in relation to the accident. While OSHA has up to six months to complete its investigation, Hoy said it will likely take a few months for the agency to release its report. “With fatalities, it’s complicated,” she said.