The employees were trying to remove metal scaffolding in a narrow alley at the six-story Bristol on Broadway apartment building when the rig gave way around 7:30 a.m., Assistant Fire Chief Dave Warman said.
It took rescue crews more than an hour to free the man who was trapped in the rubble.
``The reason it took so long with the last victim was the amount of debris on the patient and to remove that without damaging or hurting the patient worse than he already was,'' Warman said.
``The scaffolding on both sides had to be stabilized and the scaffolding hanging above had to be stabilized so that it didn't further come down on (rescue crews) or the patients we had,'' he said.
Brian Owen, 24, of Lyles, was killed, according to police spokesman Don Aaron. His family members wept at the scene, declining to be interviewed.
Two workers were in serious condition and taken to Vanderbilt Medical Center. The other injuries were described by Warman as minor.
``For all that we know at the present, this appears to be nothing but an accident,'' Aaron said.
Electrician Michael Roderick of Elmore Electric had been under the scaffolding but stepped away to take a phone call just before the collapse. He ran back to the scene when he heard the noise of the structure falling.
Victims awkwardly pinned by the debris were begging Roderick and others for help.
``They were screaming, 'Please God help me, help me,' and we were just trying to comfort them,'' Roderick said.
Roderick said the scaffolding stood about 80 feet high, and workers were standing on every level trying to take it down. Some of the men said they escaped injury by jumping from the rig.
``It looked like they were taking the one section down wrong, and therefore it lost its support,'' Roderick said. ``When it started to lean it loses its strength and just collapsed.''
Scott Knapp, another worker at the scene, said that the section that collapsed was about 16 feet long.
``It sounds like they hired temporary workers, and of course they had someone with the scaffolding company that supposedly knew what they were doing,'' Knapp said.
The owner of the construction project's general contractor, Bill Landers of Construction Enterprises Inc., said the scaffolding work was being done by subcontractor Safway Services Inc. The structure was used while applying a stucco exterior to the building.
``It's a tough project, but no, there were no safety concerns,'' Landers said. ``There've been some injuries on past projects, but nothing serious.''
Landers said the scaffolding passed a Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspection last month.
Carol Scully, risk management director of Safway, said company investigators were being flown in to work with authorities. A crisis intervention team was meeting with the families of the victims, she said.
The 177-unit apartment complex west of downtown began construction in 2003 and is expected to be finished February 2005, Landers said.
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