Let's talk about Safety PTY LTD - Maverick of the Year
Company: Patrizia Cassaniti - Let's talk about Safety PTY LTD - Castle Hill NSW
Company Description: Let's talk about safety is all about safety advocacy . Patrizia delivers a crucial lesson, everyone in construction, manufacturing and engineering need to hear to shift out complacency and create a safe working environment for themselves and all their work mates. She shares a compelling and confronting life story of a tragedy that took her 18-year-old sons life all because of a complacent decision
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Maverick of the Year
Nomination Title: Patrizia Cassaniti
The nominated individual is my wife, Patrizia Cassaniti. On the 01st of April 2019, our son Christopher Cassaniti went to work and never came home. Unfortunately he was crushed by a collapsed scaffold at the jobsite he was working at. He had only just turned 18 years of age 4 days prior. the reason why I nominate my wife is because she has shown unbelievable strength no only to keep me and my living sons Adriano and Michael together mentally but has gone on a crusade to make sure that my son Christopher did not die in vain and has continued a legacy that he has left behind. Patrizia is now a safety advocate and a keynote speaker and attend toolbox talk on jobsites.She shares the crucial lessons everyone in construction, manufacturing and engineering need to hear to shift out complacency and create a safe working environment for themselves and all their work mates, and give workers the courage to speak up and make their families the reason why they work safe everyday.
Within a month of our son's death Patrizia was on stages speaking about complacency and sharing a story of what happened to Christopher and why this should never happen again. She started a foundation called Touched by Christopher and raises money to give to families who have lost a loved one in the workplace by providing 3 months worth of groceries and pay outstanding bills.
Patrizia has also worked closely with Government in bringing in Christopher's law and has succesfully changed some legislations that relate to our current WHS law, oneof them is that no WHS penalties can be paid with insurances.She also worked together with SafeWork NSW in making an app that allows workers to be able to download to their phone and take up to 3 pictures of an unsafe situation and upload direct to SafeWork to be able to rectify the issue before an injury or fatality occurs. Which in turns allows workers to be able to speak up annonymously. Speaking up is a stigma especially in the construction industry. She is on a mission to change the culture of the industry.
Her next mission is to have industrial manslaughter to be introduced in NSW, so they can act as a dettarant to unsafe workpractices. In Christopher's case the judge said "The likelihood of anaccident occurringwas so high it wasalmost certain" yet the builder got a slap on the wrist and a $900k fine. Ours is a life Sentence.
Patrizia's achievments are commendable as they are very much needed in an industry where complacency kills. Her changes have been felt by workers all around. Her moto is No Australian should ever go to work and die. In 2019, the year our son died, 182 other workers went to work and never came home, that is an average of 15 workers dying a month. One life is too many. She is also bringing awareness of these fact to many making them evaluate their work methods and make sure they go to work safe daily, because they have families waiting for them at home.
Reference any attachments of supporting materials:
the speak up app https://speakup.safework.nsw.gov.au/
TheWork Health and Safety Amendment (Review) Act 2020recently passed by the NSW Parliament has enacted the following changes to NSW WHS laws:
Enhancement of the Category 1 offenceby including “gross negligence” as a fault element – To make it easier to prosecute and create a stronger incentive for duty holders to manage WHS risks.
Prohibition of insurance and indemnity arrangements- To ensure people can't avoid responsibility for paying WHS fines.
Increased penalty amounts for all WHS offencesin line with the Consumer Price Index – To ensure penalties retain their deterrent value.
Our Foundation.... https://touchedbychristopher.org.au/
Bill introduced in Parliament https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/bill/b5a91a7d-03aa-4d3e-8ded-9b46a94d502b