Yukon law to protect firefighters
CBC News
Posted: Feb 19, 2011 5:47 PM CST
Last Updated: Feb 19, 2011 5:47 PM CST
Yukon is preparing draft legislation to recognize certain diseases among firefighters as work-related.
Yukon Health Minister Glenn Hart is expected to meet with experts next month to review the proposed law.
For the past two years, Whitehorse firefighter Don McKnight led the effort to have the territory enact legislation recognizing presumptive cancers. Burning building materials, household contents, and plastics all make toxic smoke.
"When a firefighter is stricken with cancer the last thing they want to do is fight with workers' compensation to try to prove that's where they got their disease from," said McKnight.
"Having it as presumed it was caused by the occupation there's a lot more support from workers' compensation, the health-care system."
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