Shortly after stating that four more cancers were added to the list of occupational diseases covered by presumptive workers compensation legislation, Alberta Employment and Immigration (AEI) has proposed including the province's 10,000 volunteer firefighters under the presumptive umbrella, according to Canadian OH&S News.
On May 10, AEI came out noting that an amendment to the Workers Compensation Act had been recently unveiled that, if passed, would permit volunteer, part-time and casual (on-call) firefighters to receive presumptive compensation for the 14 cancers currently covered under the legislation. (WCxKit)
The amendments, which went to third reading on May 11, mean that firefighters regularly exposed to the hazards of a fire scene would receive workers comp minus having to demonstrate the burden of proof. The province's 3,500 full-time
The announcement comes six days after the government added the following items: prostate, breast, skin and multiple myeloma cancers to the 10 diseases presently assumed to be work-related. British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories and Nunavut have likewise coverage for volunteer firefighters, according to an AEI statement.
Manitoba was Canada’s first jurisdiction to put in place presumptive legislation in 2002, which now includes 14 cancers and applies to full-time and volunteer firefighters. (WCxKit)
In Manitoba, the provincial Workers Compensation Board (WCB), the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg Local 867 (UFFW) and Global Television recently partnered on a TV advertising campaign to back safe work practices and early detection and screening of occupational cancers, according to a UFFW executive board member.
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. See www.LowerWC.com for more information. Contact: [email protected].
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