Mum’s plea after her 18-year-old tradie son Christopher Cassaniti was crushed to death in horrific workplace accident

The mother of an 18-year-old pupil crushed in a fatal scaffolding collapse has called for new laws to ensure no other family loses a child in a similar way.

In April 2019, Christopher Cassaniti died after an overloaded exterior facade – about 18 tonnes over maximum capacity – collapsed, trapping him and his colleague Khaled Wehbe on a construction site in Macquarie Park.

The ties that should have connected the scaffolding to an associated building had also been removed.

Now his mother, Patrizia, has appealed N.S.W to overtake the other mainland states and introduce industrial manslaughter as its own crime.

‘I will never get justice for my son and that hurts. It is something you cannot accept, but I hope that in the future families will not have to experience this fear,” said Mrs Cassaniti, who described her son as an “exceptional and kind child”.

“I want these laws to be a deterrent and prevent people from doing the wrong thing that puts workers at risk of dying.”

Christopher Cassaniti (pictured) died after an overloaded exterior facade collapsed, trapping him and his colleague Khaled Wehbe on a construction site

Christopher had skipped his lunch break and was working with his colleague Khaled Wehbe, 39, when a scaffolding collapsed 30 meters above them

Her plea comes as the government prepares to introduce the legislation in parliament this week.

It is understood the bill would make industrial manslaughter a criminal offence, with penalties of up to 25 years in prison and civil fines of up to $20 million – the highest of any jurisdiction.

Ms Cassaniti, who will speak alongside NSW Industrial Relations Minister Sophie Cotsis at a rally calling for changes on Monday, says the new law would change lives.

“I would like to see this law not only put companies and businesses on alert, but also individuals,” she said.

“Managers, officers and employees should all be responsible for safety and if they are found to have done something that caused the death of a person through their negligence and reckless behavior, I want them to be prosecuted and go to prison.

“We need to have a clear and concise message so that when people look at this law, they see an end to unsafe work practices.”

According to recent polling from Pyxis Polling & Insights, NSW voters largely support criminalizing industrial manslaughter, with 68 percent of respondents responding favorably by 2040.

Support was higher in regional areas (70 percent) compared to respondents in metropolitan Sydney (66 percent), and above 60 percent across the political spectrum.

Although NSW is the only state that has not made industrial manslaughter a specific criminal offence, excluding Tasmania, 76 per cent of respondents said they were surprised the state did not have the legislation.

NSW union secretary Mark Morey urged MPs from all political sides to “listen to the community’s concerns”.

The horrific accident happened just days after Christopher’s 18th birthday (Photo: Christopher celebrates his birthday with his family)

“If a worker does not return home, it is a life-changing trauma for their loved ones,” he said.

“The people of NSW want companies and CEOs to be held accountable for workplace deaths.

“It is simply unacceptable that workers continue to lose their lives as a result of negligent and unsafe practices. Industrial manslaughter laws will provide justice for victims and their families.”

Analysis from the organization also reported that on average, NSW has lost at least one worker every week due to a workplace fatality between 2013 and 2022 – more than any other Australian state.

Christopher’s mother Patrizia (pictured) has called on NSW to catch up with other mainland states and introduce industrial manslaughter laws as its own offense

Following Mr Cassaniti’s death, Synergy Scaffolding Services pleaded guilty to one offense under the Work Health and Safety Act and was fined $2 million in November 2022.

GN Residential Construction also pleaded guilty to an offense under the Act, with NSW Fair Trading permanently disqualifying its contractor license in June 2023. It was also convicted and fined $900,000 for the violation.

The company’s director, Nicholas Kodomichalo, was also hit with a ten-year disqualification from exercising any authority under the Home Building Act 1989.