Executive Summary
- The Yarmouth Select Board requires Revoli Construction to hire a full-time safety professional before resuming sewer work.
- The designated safety consultant has the authority to immediately stop work if unsafe conditions are observed.
- Operations were suspended following a fatal trench collapse on November 18 that killed one worker.
- OSHA is continuing its investigation into the incident, with findings expected in May.
The Yarmouth Select Board has voted to authorize Revoli Construction to resume operations on a municipal sewer project, provided the company retains a full-time safety consultant. This administrative decision follows a work stoppage initiated after a fatal trench collapse occurred at the construction site last November.
According to town officials, the board’s vote establishes a strict precondition for the resumption of any active trench work requiring support under OSHA regulations. The mandated safety professional must be an independent, qualified firm tasked with maintaining detailed daily logs and submitting construction reports directly to the town.
The terms of the agreement grant the safety consultant the explicit authority to stop work immediately if conditions are deemed unsafe. In such an event, the monitor is required to report the suspension to a designated town representative without delay. Town Administrator Robert Whritenour stated that the municipality “felt it needed to step in to ensure that safe conditions are maintained on the project site at all times.”
The construction contract had been suspended since November 18, when a trench collapse on South Shore Drive resulted in the death of one worker and injuries to another. This contract is one of six components of the $207 million Phase 1 Yarmouth Wastewater project, which is scheduled for completion by 2028.
While Revoli Construction has denied any wrongdoing in connection with the incident, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the fatality. The federal agency is scheduled to conclude its investigation in May.
Regulatory Oversight and Project Liability
The imposition of a mandatory, third-party safety monitor with stop-work authority represents a significant escalation in municipal oversight for public works contracts. By conditioning the resumption of work on external safety validation, the Town of Yarmouth is moving to mitigate liability and prevent recurrence while the federal investigation remains active. This approach allows critical infrastructure development to proceed under heightened scrutiny, balancing the need for project completion with the imperative of worker safety pending the final OSHA determination regarding the cause of the fatal collapse.
