Giuliano Pirone: WorkSafe WA confirms probe into bodybuilder’s death after being left 15h unattended in shower

WorkSafe is investigating whether a gym in Perth’s northern suburbs breached its duty of care after a 33-year-old bodybuilder died after being found 15 hours after collapsing in a shower cubicle. Giuliano Pirone, 33, was at Culture Fitness 24/7 gym in Wanneroo training for a bodybuilding competition when he began to feel unwell in the early hours of August 20. He staggered to a shower cubicle, where he collapsed and was left unnoticed in the cubicle for 15 hours under cold running water. Mr Pirone was taken to Joondalup Health Campus by ambulance before being placed on life support. He died two weeks later and was the father of a three-year-old girl. His mother has since called for a coronial inquest into how her son was left unnoticed for so long. A spokeswoman for WorkSafe confirmed they were investigating his death. It is unknown whether a direct complaint had been received by the regulator. The spokeswoman said inspectors were in the process of gathering information about the industry, with the probe “in its very early stages”. It is understood part of the investigation will probe whether the gym has breached its duty of care. Giuliano’s mother, Daniela, told the ABC she welcomed WorkSafe’s probe into the industry after previously calling for tougher regulation on the 24/7 gym industry. “My family has a lot of questions, and we still have not been given an explanation as to why Giuliano was in the shower for so long without anyone noticing he was there,” she said. “I just want to know how someone can be left in a gym shower for 15 hours,” she said. Ms Pirone said that if her son had been found earlier, neurologists stated he could have made a full recovery. “It’s a health place, you should be safe, you should feel safe that if something happens to you, there’s someone there to help you, not to be left on the floor for 15 hours.” “Gyms need to be aware that people can have accidents and things can happen to them in the gym. So there needs to be a check-in and a check-out system,” she said. “If someone stays at the gym for two, two and a half hours, or three hours max, after that, someone should flag up or say, “Okay, where is this person? They’re still at the gym. Let me go check to see if they’re okay. Look around. “ “Your shift starts, go look around in the bathrooms. Have a walk around. Check the CCTV from the night before, see what’s happened in the gym that night or that morning. A Culture Fitness 24/7 spokesperson previously said the company extended its “deepest sympathies” to the Giuliano family. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Giuliano’s family at this difficult time, and we extend our deepest sympathies after learning Giuliano has passed away,” the spokesperson said. “We have been in contact with those close to Giuliano and have given them time and space. However, we will continue to engage with the family to provide whatever support we can if they require it.“ “Since the date of the incident, we have provided and will continue to provide all necessary access and information to emergency services to assist them in their efforts if required.“ “As a 24-hour gym facility, we remain committed to maintaining a safe, secure and accessible environment for all our members. “We pride ourselves on fostering a supportive community environment for our staff, our members, and all of our external relationships.”