HOBOKEN—A scaffold on the western side of the Hudson Tea Building malfunctioned and listed on Tuesday morning, forcing the evacuation of two workers, according to police. The scaffold remains hanging at an angle.
Two men were on the scaffold, but both were removed to safety. The second was harnessed before entering the building through a window on the eleventh floor shortly after 10 a.m.
Both individuals were transported to Hoboken University Medical Center with minor injuries.
Representatives from the Hoboken Police and Fire Departments, the Office of Emergency Management, the city building department, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have been deployed to the scene. Parts of Fifteenth Street and Hudson Street have been closed to cars, but residents can still exit and enter the Hudson Tea Building.
Although the scaffold is considered stabilized at the moment, authorities plan to lower it today if weather conditions permit, according to city spokesman Juan Melli. In order to do so, two people must come down from the roof in a “chair,” according to Melli.
The purpose of the scaffold and the nature of its malfunction are not known at this time.
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