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May 27, 2023

Feds investigating scaffolding collapse in downtown San Antonio

Construction workers begin cleaning up collapsed scaffolding on the 300 block of

Construction workers begin cleaning up collapsed scaffolding on the 300 block of East Martin Street in San Antonio on Sept. 20. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has said they are investigating how the structure collapsed.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating how 230 feet of steel scaffolding fell off the side of a downtown office building last week — crashing into a neighboring church, damaging four cars and sending a man, woman and child running for cover.

Agency spokeswoman Chauntra Rideaux confirmed the investigation in an email but gave no other details. OSHA sets federal standards for the use of scaffolding.

The pile of collapsed wooden planks and metal poles has been cleaned up, but the street where it fell will remain closed at least until next week while federal authorities conduct an investigation, city spokesman Paul Berry said Friday.

On ExpressNews.com: ‘Act of God’ tears scaffolding from downtown San Antonio building days before scheduled removal

Neither the state nor the city requires contractors to obtain permits to erect scaffolding.

A representative for Big City Access, the Houston company that provided the scaffolding, didn't return a call requesting comment Friday. The company has said it's seeking to determine what caused the crash.

The scaffolding fell from a 14-story office building owned by AT&T as a storm with winds up to 60 mph blew through the area Sept. 19. The structure had been erected so workers could restore the building's facade.

Some of the falling metal landed on the four-story parish hall at historic St. Mark's Episcopal Church across Martin Street from the office building.

The steel pierced the parish building's roof in several places, sending rainwater pouring inside. That caused damage to four floors of offices, classrooms and rehearsal rooms, along with a large gathering space, said the Rev. Beth Knowlton of St. Mark's.

Several windows on the parish building have been taped up, and brickwork on its roof also was damaged.

The crash crushed the chiller for the church's heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system, forcing church leaders to resort to temporary cooling measures, Knowlton said.

It's unclear how much repairs will cost; she said it likely will take several months to complete.

On ExpressNews.com: Collapsed scaffolding in downtown San Antonio mostly removed

The church itself was unharmed, and there will be regular services Sunday, Knowlton said.

"The resilience and optimism and hopefulness of our people is what's getting all of us through the next few days," Knowlton said. "We know we’re going to be fine in the long run."

The crash didn't cause major injuries. The man, woman and small child tripped and fell as they outran the falling metal, but they suffered only minor cuts and bruises, officials said.

By Friday, crews had cleared debris from the stretch of Martin between Jefferson and Navarro where the structure had collapsed.

Initially, officials thought the street might reopen Friday afternoon, but Berry said later that it would stay closed at least until Tuesday because of the OSHA investigation.

Joshua Fechter is a staff writer covering San Antonio city government and politics. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | [email protected] | Twitter: @JFreports