FRANCAIS

October 31, 2005

Labour and Immigration Minister Nancy Allan today announced that changes to the Workers Compensation Act which expand the list of presumptive diseases for firefighters and extend this coverage to include volunteer and part-time firefighters have now been fully implemented with the passing of a new regulation.

"This government has been a national leader in workers compensation coverage with respect to firefighters," said Allan. "The health hazards that firefighters are exposed to have been well established through medical evidence and we are pleased that firefighters can now take advantage of the expanded legislation."

The province recently passed changes to the Workers Compensation Act expanding the list of presumptive injuries for firefighters to include primary-site colorectal and ureter cancers, lung cancer for non-smokers and heart attacks within 24 hours of attendance at an emergency response.

Dr. Tee Guidotti, an internationally-known epidemiologist, was asked to provide information on minimum employment exposure duration for each disease. These cancers develop after regular exposure over many years. Based on his report, the province has set 15 years as the minimum period of employment for primary site colorectal, ureter and lung cancers. There is also a minimum period of non-smoking for lung cancer.

Allan noted that under the provision, the minimum periods for full-time and part-time/volunteer firefighters are the same.

The original amendment to the legislation, the first of its kind in Canada that presumed that certain diseases are caused by firefighting, included primary site brain cancer, bladder or kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia.

"Manitoba first made amendments presuming that certain diseases are caused by firefighting in 2002 and we are pleased that other provincial jurisdictions have since introduced and passed similar legislation," said Allan. "The province will continue to do what it can to support our 1,000 full-time and 4,000 volunteer firefighters who face safety risks in their service to Manitobans each and every day."

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