A grieving mother who lost her own son in a workplace tragedy has pledged to support the family of a Sydney worker who died after being crushed by a 300kg pane of glass. The 49-year-old man was killed in a workplace accident at a residential property in Dural, located in Sydney's north-west, on Monday.
Emergency Response and Investigation
Emergency services rushed to the home on Valencia Street just after 11am that day, but despite frantic efforts to save him, the man could not be revived. New South Wales Police have now launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident, and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
A Mother's Personal Tragedy
Patrizia Cassaniti, whose 18-year-old son Christopher died in 2019 on a construction site after scaffolding collapsed beside him, said she was horrified to hear of the latest tragedy. "It was horrible... I am a local as I live in Castle Hill. So everyone that saw the news sent it to me," Ms Cassaniti told the Daily Mail.
Ms Cassaniti, who launched the Touched by Christopher Foundation in her son's honour, has now asked for the family and friends of the Dural man to get in contact with her, as she would like to offer them financial support in the weeks and months ahead.
Foundation's Support for Bereaved Families
The foundation provides families who have lost a loved one in a workplace incident with three months' worth of groceries, $1,500 towards outstanding bills, and $5,000 to help cover any mortgage or rent payments. The 49-year-old man was crushed to death after being trapped beneath 300kg of glass near a house in Dural on Monday.
Despite frantic efforts at the scene, the man could not be revived and was pronounced dead. Crews found the 49-year-old man pinned beneath the heavy load and unable to free himself.
Gaps in Government Support
"Touched by Christopher has been raising money for the last seven years to help families... because unfortunately there is no government scheme that helps families from a workplace death, other than the death benefit, which is not released for at least nine to 12 months," Ms Cassaniti said.
"In that time we are the only help they have access to. The charity is run completely by volunteers and we have minimal cost to run the website which we try to have companies to sponsor us for."
Impact and Legacy
Ms Cassaniti said the foundation has been able to support 42 families across New South Wales so far after raising around $430,000. She would love to be able to support the man's family to access that support too.
"No one should go to work and never come home," she said. "Every death is heart-wrenching as I know exactly what the families are going through... I relive my son’s death every day but there is nothing I can do to change what happened; all I can do is to keep his legacy. He always helped others and if we can help families after such tragedies, we honour him."
Christopher's Story
The mother of Christopher Cassaniti, who died in 2019 on a construction site, has vowed to help the man's grieving family. Christopher had just celebrated his 18th birthday when he was killed after scaffolding on a construction site he was working on collapsed.
Call to Action
Ms Cassaniti has asked for anyone who knows the man's family to contact her at admin@touchedbychristopher.org.au. She has also asked for any businesses or individuals who would like to support the cause to register for Australia's Biggest BBQ that runs throughout April.
The Daily Mail understands SafeWork New South Wales has been notified about the Dural incident.
