OSHA begins investigation at T-Mobile site

Compliance investigators with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration combed through debris and broken concrete Wednesday at the future T-Mobile Customer Service Center site on Paredes Line Road.

They searched for clues to explain a deadly accident that happened here Tuesday, claiming two workers’ lives and seriously injuring a third.

Kelan Patrick Fairbrother, 52, of Austin, and Margarito Negron-Ruiz, 49, of Toluca, Mexico, lost their lives when a concrete wall tumbled and crushed them on the work site, police spokesman Sgt. Jimmy Manrrique said. Francisco Lopez, 22, of Austin, remained in critical but stable condition at Valley Regional Medical Center on Wednesday.

The men were welding a concrete wall panel to adjoining walls at the construction site when it is believed a boom-style lift’s basket hit a temporary support, causing the wall the crack and fall.

Close to 100 are employed at the site that will house a T-Mobile Customer Service Center, which is expected to open in January 2008. It will eventually employee 750 people.

Construction was halted Wednesday as OSHA inspectors combed for clues throughout most of Wednesday.

Elizabeth Todd, a spokeswoman with OSHA, said the agency has up to six months to conclude the investigation into the collapse of the concrete wall panel.

She said investigators would be looking for any clues or indications as to what may have happened the day of the accident.

Todd said investigators would probably interview other construction workers who might have witnessed the accident.

OSHA first learned about the accident at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, she said.

“We have an open ongoing investigation,” Todd explained, adding that she could not release any more information, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Wednesday morning, T-Mobile released a prepared statement about the accident.

“T-Mobile is deeply saddened to learn of yesterday’s events at the construction site of our planned customer service call center in Brownsville,” wrote spokeswoman Michelle Webb. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those affected. We will work with local authorities to help investigate this incident.”