Kay Catanzariti
GRIEVING Griffith mum Kay Catanzariti has intensified her campaign to ensure the tragic death of her son Ben won't be in vain.
Mrs Canatzariti joined 600 construction workers who marched on the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday morning to demand improved safety on Canberra's building sites so that "no other family will be broken".
She was right at the centre of the protest, paying tribute to her 21-year-old son, who was tragically killed on a Kingston Foreshore construction site in July.
Ben was the fourth man to die on a Canberra worksite since December 2011 and the union has vowed to continue its campaign until meaningful reforms are enacted.
Mrs Catanzariti, son Jack, husband Barney and a lone bagpiper led the workers who marched through the streets of Civic waving placards calling for an end to the "bloodshed".
During the heartfelt address, Mrs Catanzariti described her family as "broken" by Ben's death.
She told the crowd that she was determined to fight for safety in the construction industry.
"There now lies numbness within that cannot be expressed with words ... no words can express the gut-wrenching loss, despair and emptiness that now fills our lives," she said in her address.
"Ben can never return to us but if my efforts today can prevent another senseless workplace accident from happening then no other family will be broken like ours."
While in Canberra Mrs Catanzariti witnessed the first turning of the sod of a memorial that will be erected for industrial workers. It will be unveiled in April next year.
"Not many people know that 660 industrial workers have been killed nationwide in the past year. That is more than the road fatalities or soldiers killed overseas," she said.
"When I spoke there was dead silence and a lot of hankies came out.
"I wanted to let them know how it's impacted on my family. We are not the first but I pray to God we are the last."
