Christopher Cassaniti: Mother speaks year after son’s death on Macquarie Park construction site
The heartbroken mother of Christopher Cassaniti, 18, who tragically died after a scaffolding tower collapsed on him at a Macquarie Park construction site last April reveals she is still coming to terms with his death as the family shared an intimate memorial at the site.
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Not a day goes by that Patrizia Cassaniti doesn’t think of her son Christopher, who tragically died after a scaffolding tower collapsed on him at a Macquarie Park construction site last April.
Christopher Cassaniti, 18, had been working as an apprentice at the Lachlan’s Line site in Macquarie Park on April 1 last year when the whole scaffolding let go and crushed him.
One year on, Mrs Cassaniti said she is still coming to terms with what happened.
“When someone says a broken heart I know because I have that feeling and it hurts too much,” Mrs Cassaniti told The Northern District Times.
“Everyday I feel the pain. I’m still trying to come to terms with the fact he’s gone.”
The Castle Hill mother fondly remembered Christopher as a charismatic young man with an infectious smile.
“He was a very shy kid but very loveable and patient with everybody. He was very sporty and we had only just started doing water skiing. He just got himself a boat,” she said.
Today a memorial shrine sits in the family’s living room filled with precious mementos and pictures of Christopher as well as old family photos during happier times.
Next to it is a stand where his hi-vis top hangs along with his stickered hard cap and rugged work boots.
Mrs Cassaniti said Christopher was 18 years old, but so “proud and happy” with his life and dedicated to his work.
“He loved his job. The camaraderie and his workmates — just everything about it,” she said.
On the one year anniversary of his death, Mrs Cassaniti along with her husband Robert, and two sons, Michael, 17, and Adriano, 20, went to the site on Wednesday placing flowers on a plaque set up by the City of Ryde opposite the construction site.
The plaque reads: “In memory of a life so beautifully lived that was taken too soon, a heart so deeply loved and a smile so greatly missed.”
From colourful flowers and dusted work boots to hand-written cards to their beloved son, it was an emotional and intimate memorial for the family.
“We brought in some flowers to put on a memorial. It was just the four of us.”
Due to coronavirus restrictions the family had to call off their public memorial for now. But Mrs Cassaniti said it will still be held after the pandemic.
On the fateful day, Christopher had driven himself to work early on Monday morning after a weekend celebrating his 18th birthday with friends and family.
Mrs Cassaniti said she would usually drive Christopher to work before setting up her coffee van for the men on site but she hadn’t because he had brought himself a new car.
She had been working at home when a friend called about 1pm alerting her that “something terrible” had happened at Christopher’s work site.
At that time, neither were aware that Christopher was involved but she was told the situation was “pretty bad” so she got in her car and rushed to the site.
Once she arrived, Christopher had already passed away but it was deemed too dangerous for anyone to go on site so she wasn’t able to see his body until the next day.
Mrs Cassaniti revealed still today the hardest part was not being beside Christopher in his final moments.
“That was one of the biggest things for me. I didn't get a chance to be with him,” she said.
“I wish I knew a little bit earlier to be next to him and hold him,” she said.
“I woke up the next morning at 2am and thought what if it’s not him?”
She said she remembered getting up and telling her sister and sister in law that maybe it wasn’t him, but reality set soon later.
“Then they said if it hadn’t been him, he’d be here now,” she said.
“I think that the trauma has remained with me. The trauma of thinking it wasn’t him.”
To get through she said sometimes she has had to “mentally block” what happened and think he’s just away on holiday.
Mrs Cassaniti is now working harder than ever pushing the government to strengthen its laws around unsafe work practices as well as calling for the NSW government to introduce industrial manslaughter laws.
When asked if she still feels anger, she said she had turned her anger into positive energy fighting for workers safety so that other families don’t have the same experience.
“I’m very angry but it’s trying to get out there and using that anger turning it into something positive to fight with governments to change laws and to get things done to keep workers safe.”
She also speaks regularly at worksites to change the mindset around worker safety.
The Castle Hill mother said some are too complacent and adopt the ‘It won’t happen to me’ mentality yet she believes accidents like what happened to her son are all avoidable.
As the founder of Touched by Christopher Foundation, she works to financially help families for the first few months after they’ve experienced a workplace death.
Mrs Cassaniti also worked alongside SafeWork NSW to launch the app Speak Up. Saves Lives late last year which allows workers to raise safety concerns anonymously.
“Sometimes workers can feel they can’t speak up without being victimised because unfortunately if you speak up you get shown the door,” she said.
“To lose a child is one of the worst things that can ever happen. My coping mechanism is to keep busy and talk to workers about safety.”
Under Work Health and Safety legislation, SafeWork NSW, who are investigating the workplace incident, has two years from the date of the incident to make an enforcement decision.
“SafeWork NSW investigation into the April 1, 2019 scaffolding collapse at a Macquarie Park construction site, is ongoing. SafeWork NSW remains in contact with the family of the deceased to provide updates where appropriate,” A SafeWork NSW spokesman said.