Warning: The following information may be distressing to some readers. (An article originally provided by SafeWork NSW).

In April 2019, 18-year-old apprentice, Mr Christopher Cassaniti was fatally injured, and his co-worker was severely injured when a scaffold collapsed on top of them at a worksite in Macquarie Park.

In December 2020, GN Residential Construction Pty Ltd (Ganellen) was convicted for breaches against the WHS Act and fined $900,000 as a result of the incident. The company was also served a Project Order, requiring them to contribute a further $104,000 to establish a working group to deliver a scaffolding industry safety standard over the next 12 months.

NSW District Court Judge Andrew Scotting found Ganellen had failed to check building load weights, scaffolding ties and components, amounting to an offence of the "utmost objective gravity."

"In the circumstances where the scaffold was overloaded and the ties to the building had been removed, the likelihood of risk occurring was so high that it was almost certain," he said.

Patrizia Cassaniti, Mr Cassaniti’s mother, has become a strong advocate for WHS reform, and has joined the SafeWork NSW Family and Injured Workers Support Group, which aims to improve support to those affected by WHS incidents and advocates for WHS in the community.

For further info on this incident and relevant safety information, visit SafeWork NSW Incident Information Release.