Western suburbs firefighters and the Greens have accused the state
government of attempting to “kill off” legislation that would give
firefighters easier access to cancer compensation.
The government last week announced that it would set up an
assessment panel to assist in the management of professional and
volunteer firefighter claims. But said it was “not convinced” of the
link between firefighting and certain types of cancers.
The panel, to be managed by WorkCover, comes after continued
pressure on the government to back the legislation after international
studies found firefighters have a higher rate of cancer due to the
chemicals.
Monash University researchers confirmed in a letter to state MPs
that the science was settled and that “waiting for more research
findings leads to unacceptable delays”.
A Greens bill that passed the Federal Parliament in 2011 removed
the onus of proof on Commonwealth-employed firefighters who work at
airports or in the ACT.
Western Metropolitan Greens MP Colleen Hartland proposed similar laws in Victoria that would also cover volunteers.
Western zone MFB commander Frank Besanko, 61, was among 12
firefighters who made a submission to a senate committee on the Fair
Protection for Firefighters Bill.
He said it felt like a “punch in the guts” when he was diagnosed
with prostate cancer in 2007. He said it tore him up to see firefighters
transferred to day duties, monitoring their own dosage of morphine at
work and in one case holding an “end of life celebration” in the weeks
before dying.
“There are too many firefighters being diagnosed with cancers and too many dying,” he said in his submission.
“You ask any firefighter and he will tell you that he has seen too
many funerals for firefighters that have died of cancer-related
diseases.” Mr Besanko said internationally the link between firefighting
and cancers had been made and the state government’s inquiry was
“stalling tactics”.
He never sought WorkCover as he knew it would be too difficult to
pinpoint which fire or incident exposed him to carcinogenic toxins and
that his illness was most likely a result of repeated exposure over 34
years.
Former western suburbs firefighter and father-of-six David Weir,
51, had a double lung transplant after being diagnosed with sarcoidosis
18 years ago. He was one of the responding crews to attend the 1991
Coode Island explosion where 8.5 million litres of chemicals burned.
“And there’s many other fires that could have involved asbestos
that I could have been exposed to quite significantly on quite a regular
basis.
“You’re on call 24/7 and when the bells go you pretty much respond to whatever’s required for the emergency.
“You don’t know what you’re going to, you don’t know what you’re
going to be confronted with and you don’t know what you’re going to be
dealing with.
“When you do put the fire out, you do investigation and you do
mopping up, and in that cleaning-up process you do take your gloves and
breathing apparatus off and I suppose you’re very exposed.’’
