New legislation to expand coverage for Manitoba firefighters suffering from occupational cancers
Manitoba is amending the Worker’s Compensation Act to expand the coverage for firefighters from occupational cancers.
On Friday the province announced five additional cancers will be deemed occupational. They include pancreatic, thyroid, penile, and female reproductive cancers of ovarian and cervical.
“By adding these cancers, we can ensure that adequate protections are in place for both our male and female firefighters and at-risk fire commissioner personnel and that Manitoba addresses the broadest array of presumptive cancers in the world,” said Premier Heather Stefanson.
“It’s really become a crisis in the firefighting community not only in Canada but around the world because we are now seeing with the new science that firefighters have continual exposure to these carcinogens that over time cause cancer,” said Alex Forrest, president of the Manitoba Professional Firefighters Association.
Forrest said the new legislation will serve as a template across Canada and around the world and will assist dozens of firefighters now fighting for coverage from the Workers Compensation Board (WCB).
The province said the WCB will be responsible for administering the changes and also identifying any concerns that might come up.
“What this does is that it treats a person that is diagnosed, or sadly if they succumb to that cancer, the same way as if they were in a fire and they die in a house collapse,” said Forrest. “They will be protected by Workers Compensation.”
The addition of female reproductive cancers to the list of presumptive cancers could also aid in the recruitment of female firefighters, according to Forrest.
“We’re now recognizing women’s reproductive cancers because I believe in the last number of years women’s reproductive cancers have not been given the appropriate attention that it now is in Manitoba,” Forrest said.
The legislation has been a work in progress for over 25 years concerning occupational health and cancer around the world, according to Forest, and people are just now realizing the level of danger firefighters face.
“Cancer is now the number one killer of firefighters around the world, said Forrest. “Every single time firefighters go into a house, you are going to be exposed to anywhere from five or six times the levels of carcinogens that the normal population will be exposed to.”
Research is ongoing to develop better protective gear for the first responders but Forrest said it is difficult to protect the firefighters from all the carcinogens without wearing something like a plastic hazmat suit to fight fires.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
'Summer of discontent': Federal unions vow to fight new 3-day a week office mandate
Federal unions are launching legal challenges and encouraging public sector workers to file "tens of thousands" of grievances over the new mandate requiring federal workers to return to the office at least three days a week in the fall.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
'Ozempic babies': Reports of surprise pregnancies raise new questions about weight loss drugs
Numerous women have shared stories of 'Ozempic babies' on social media. But the joy some experience in discovering pregnancies may come with anxiety about the unknowns.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
TSB concludes investigation into cause of London, Ont. freight train fire
More than two weeks after a freight train with several railcars ablaze rolled through the heart of the Forest City, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has concluded its investigation.
'I killed four people': Trial hears video evidence of Jeremy Skibicki at Winnipeg trial
“I killed four people,” alleged serial killer Jeremy Skibicki told two homicide detectives during a recorded interview played as evidence in his trial Wednesday.