TORONTO — Ontario is expanding workplace coverage of cancers for firefighters.
Minister of Labour Monte McNaughton says pancreatic and thyroid cancers in firefighters will now be presumed to be work related.
He says this will allow firefighters to speed up their Workplace Safety and Insurance Board claims.
Get weekly health news
McNaughton says the changes will be retroactive to 1960 in order to cover both active and retired firefighters.
The province says upwards of 60 firefighters die every year from cancer across the country, with about half of those deaths occurring in Toronto.
- ‘We’re struggling’: Caregivers are feeling the financial squeeze, report says
- Babies of mothers with endometriosis face higher birth defect risk: study
- Province spending $17M, adding 26 new ICU beds in Saskatoon hospital
- Constitutional challenge launched by Ontario nurses over lack of right to strike
Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs Rob Grimwood says the move will help firefighters in their recoveries.
The changes apply to full-time, part-time, volunteer and First Nations firefighters along with fire investigators.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.