Duty of Care

On Thursday, September 24, 2026, construction worker Manuel Chuqui died after falling from scaffolding while performing exterior work on a building on Weld Hill Street near Hyde Park Avenue in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood.

According to the Boston Fire Department, firefighters responded around 2:45 p.m. and found the worker on the ground after a fall from somewhere between the second and third floors. He died from injuries sustained in the fall. Fire officials said the exact cause remained under investigation and that OSHA was notified. Officials also noted that conditions were windy that afternoon, although authorities had not determined whether the wind contributed.

Chuqui, a Braintree father, was later identified by his family. The Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH) called for a thorough investigation of worksite conditions, the scaffold, fall protections, training, and supervision. MassCOSH executive director Tatiana Sofia Begault said, "No family should receive a call like this after a loved one leaves for work."

For construction crews, exterior scaffold work demands complete platforms, guardrails, and personal fall arrest when required — before anyone steps up. Hold a pre-task plan, self-check fall protection at the high-risk step, and stop the job if the system is incomplete or weather makes the edge unsafe.

• Daily Voice
• Fall River Reporter / MassCOSH