Patrizia Cassanita Is a mother on a mission to improve workplace safety

Patrizia Cassaniti about the tragic loss of her son, Christopher (18) in a fatal scaffolding collapse at a workplace construction site in Macquarie Park in April 2019 and her determination to improve safety within the construction industry.

A nine-story scaffolding tower collapsed on top of Christopher and a workmate. The young tradie killed by the scaffolding collapse screamed for 20 minutes, asking for help and crying out for his mother as he suffocated to death, a witness has said.

Patrizia and I spoke of the additional challenges of grieving during Covid, of the trauma that has impacted her family since the loss of Christopher, of the Law's deficiencies and of Patrizia in the numbness of overwhelming grief remembering the Chaplain who stayed by her side at the construction site.

60 Minutes also did a detailed story on the Safety issues at the construction site. You can watch that story here.

The 60 Minutes report revealed concerns were raised about the safety of the Ganellen construction site in Macquarie Park more than a year before 18-year-old Christopher Cassaniti was killed after a scaffolding collapse.

Numerous emails obtained by 60 Minutes show repeated safety warnings were made by scaffolding company Synergy to construction company Ganellen.

I've followed this story since.

Yesterday Patrizia posted this on her Facebook Page:

"Tomorrow my husband Rob and I will be attending the Darlinghurst Courts for the sentencing of the builder Ganellan who pleaded guilty.

The prosecution handed down was for a Category 2 which we all know hands down should have been a Category 1... but it’s not in my control.. the only thing I can do is to provide my Victim Impact Statement as best as possible to avoid any further discounts to the charge that will be handed down.

What is a life worth??

I do not get a discount .. mine will always be a life sentence .. and the value of the penalty for my son’s life in the end, will always be the excess of the builders insurance policy.

It’s in God’s hands."