MAYOR DANIEL M. KNAPIK
WESTFIELD – Westfield Mayor Daniel M. Knapik has taken steps, in the wake of the tragic death of city police officer Jose Torres while working at a West Springfield construction project, to increase safety at the construction sites in the city by ensuring that all workers on such projects are properly trained to avoid the hazards of their work.
Knapik, whose private sector career included extensive experience in the field of work zone safety, is particularly well qualified to address safety issues and said that he has taken steps to minimize the risk of work zone injuries.
Speaking shortly after the Occupational Health and Safety Administration cited Revoli Construction Company of Franklin (the contractor hired By West Springfield for the pipeline project where Torres was working when he was killed) for “lack of training for employees of other employers on the hazards on the worksite”, Knapik said that the citation was “a wake up call” to the city to take action to improve safety at work zones in the city.
Knapik said that traditionally officers assigned to work sites have been focused on the safety of traffic transiting the work zone but he said there has been an “enormous uptick” in accidents that injure workers at construction jobs.
He said that injuries to workers due to construction hazards now comprise about half of all work zone injuries. As a result, he has taken steps to ensure that all city work crews, and the officers working at construction sites, be properly trained to recognize and avoid work zone hazards.
“We’re looking for police to train workers” he said and explained that Lt. Lawrence Valliere, the commander of the Traffic and Safety Bureau of the department, and Officer David Racicot, a veteran officer with extensive experience with work zone details, have been selected for OSHA training.
Once that training is complete, Knapik said, the two officers will train city workers and city officials will be in a better position to encourage contractors to ensure that their employees be property instructed in work zone safety.
Knapik said that, due to his background, he is quick to notice work zone safety issues and said that he has, since he has been mayor, shut down two construction projects until safety deficiencies could be corrected.
And, he said, with workers swarming over City Hall during renovations there, he frequently observes safety issues there.
“We’re constantly working to ensure that workers (at City Hall) are in compliance,” he said.
