The grieving family of a Sydney apprentice crushed to death by scaffolding has called for the introduction of "Christopher's Law".
In April 18-year-old apprentice Christopher Cassaniti was crushed to death after 15m high scaffolding collapsed on him and a co-worker at a construction site in Macquarie Park.
Paramedics were initially unable to reach the formworker who was trapped under rubble. He was pronounced dead at the scene a few hours after the incident.
His mother Patrizia Cassaniti told 60 Minutes on Sunday night that her son's lungs were crushed and he died of asphyxiation.
When she was told her son had died, Ms Cassaniti said she was in denial.
"I just screamed, because I thought, it's not possible that he has died," she said.
His father Rob Cassaniti said viewing his son's body was "the toughest thing I've ever done".
"He still looked beautiful...But as a parent you don't want that, you don't want to see that, but unfortunately, we had to," Mr Cassaniti said.
Chris Cassaniti was a former student of Gilroy Catholic College at Castle Hill. Source: Facebook.
Earlier in May, the couple called for harsher punishments for employers whose employees die in industrial incidents.
Workers in the construction industry are calling for uniform industrial manslaughter laws, 60 Minutes reported on Sunday.
"I promise you to continue until it's done because Christopher and all the others that have died on job sites will not have died in vain," Ms Cassaniti said in footage shown by 60 Minutes.
"It's just going to be a law, and I'm going to call it Christopher's Law," she said.
The circumstances of his death are being investigated by SafeWork NSW and police.
