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April 15, 2009 AMENDMENTS PROPOSED TO WORKERS COMPENSATION ACT– – –Expanded Coverage Would be for Work-related Illnesses Affecting Firefighters: Allan Labour and Immigration Minister Nancy Allan, minister responsible for the Workers Compensation Act, introduced today amendments to the act which would add two new occupational disease presumptions for firefighters.
“Manitoba was the first jurisdiction in Canada to enact a firefighter’s presumption,” said Allan. “These new amendments reflect our commitment to the brave men and women who risk their lives on a daily basis.”
The two new cancers which would be added to the list are esophageal and primary site testicular cancer. Eight primary site cancers have been listed since the first presumptive legislation in 2002: brain, bladder, kidney, lung, ureter and colorectal cancers, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia.
“These amendments would apply to full, part-time and volunteer firefighters,” said Allan.
In 2002 Manitoba became the first jurisdiction to have a firefighter presumption including brain and kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia. In 2005, the Workers Compensation Act was amended to expand the presumption to part-time and volunteer firefighters and to add ureter, colorectal cancers and lung cancers in non-smokers along with presuming heart injuries within 24 hours of an emergency response to be work-related injuries.
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