A National Institutes of Health (NIH) electrician died after he fell through an air shaft covering while doing repairs on the Bethesda Campus, according to NIH spokesperson Amanda Fine.
On Wednesday, Akwasi Addae, 45, who was a federal employee working as an NIH electrician, was “conducting repair work on the exterior of a building” when he fell into an “air handling intake shaft,” Fine said.
Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service (MCFRS) spokesperson David Pazos told MoCo360 that MCFRS and NIH’s Fire Department responded to the scene and said that Addae fell through a covering over the shaft and was declared dead at the scene.
“We have notified the family and have offered condolences and support,” Fine said. “We are also offering grief support to his NIH colleagues and NIH first responders.”
The NIH Division Occupational Health and Safety and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are investigating the incident to determine the cause of the fall and review the safety measures in place.