Pass Presumptive LegislationCongratulations to the CITY OF THOROLD!!!
And the CITY OF NIAGARA FALLS!!!
Recently the City of Thorold has accepted the Firefighters proposal to endorse what firefighters are calling “Presumptive Legislation”. 22 Municipalities in the Province of Ontario have passed motions to support amendments to the Workplace Safety and Insurance board recognizing occupational illness in firefighters.
Fire fighters are regularly exposed to burning chemicals and other toxins. There are 70,000 toxic substances on file with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States. In reality, when these substances burn together, there are 70 million possible combinations that are created in a fire. Those substances can be absorbed into the body in many ways during the course of the fire fighter’s duties. Fire fighters routinely endure exposure to these burning toxins in the course of protecting the lives and property of their fellow citizens.
To date the WSIB has provided benefits to fire fighters who have suffered from a range of diseases including brain, kidney and bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, and degenerative neurological conditions.
Currently Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Nova Scotia recognize the relationship between exposure and fire fighter deaths from cancers.
Many studies have revealed an increased rate of disease in the fire fighter population versus the general population. These studies show a statistically significant increase that cannot be explained by chance. Studies show fire fighters have anywhere from 2-4 times the risk of cancers compared to the general population. If you factor in the healthy worker effect, the rates are even higher.
Please visit the OPFFA website for more information.
We ask that you support “presumptive legislation” in our province. |
