It was outrageous that the demolition industry could be described as one for `young men who liked the element of danger', Productivity and Labour Relations Minister Yvonne Henderson said today.
Mrs Henderson was criticising comments made at a Coroner's Court inquest into the death of a demolition worker.
She said the statement to the court by a witness at the inquiry, who is a consultant site manager, suggested that young demolition workers were Indiana Jones types who were courting adventure and saw injury and death as one of the acceptable hazards of the job.
"This sort of cowboy attitude has no place in the construction and demolition industries," Mrs Henderson.
"While the rate of work-related injury in general has been decreasing since the introduction of the Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act, the rate of injury in the construction industry has remained substantially the same.
"The Government foreshadowed in July that existing regulations covering demolition work would be strengthened through the introduction of a licensing system.
"A tripartite working party on the licensing system is expected to report to the Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare Commission in the near future."
The Coroner found yesterday that the young man's death was accidental.
