More female firefighters leads to call for greater cancer coverage

Cervical, ovarian and uterine cancers - as well as five others - would all be covered in presumptive legislation and allow victims to get compensation, provided a new Greens bill gets through Victorian Parliament.

Ballarat region United Firefighters Union delegate Luke Shearer said with the amount of toxic materials in modern furniture, cars, buildings and more, firefighters were at risk of developing a wider range of illnesses.

"The World Health Organisation says firefighting is a cancer-causing profession," he said.

"And new evidence out of North America shows there are eight extra cancers that firefighters are more likely than the average citizen to get at work.

"We'd like all of them covered."

Legislation has just been passed in Western Australia, and personnel in Tasmania are already covered, as well as others in the ACT and those working under a federal banner.

"For example, if firefighters go out to a large blaze at Melbourne Airport, you might see aviation firefighters (federal) working alongside FRV and CFA," Mr Shearer said.

"We're all fighting the same fire - but we're covered for the risk of getting different types of cancers: 20 for the Feds and just 12 for FRV and CFA firefighters."

In June, the Andrews Government announced it would add cervical, ovarian and uterine cancer to the list but the UFU said the Greens had questioned why all eight would not be added.

The union believed Labor was now likely to back down from this promise.

The bill will get its second reading in the Upper House next week.

"The UFU wants support from all parties. This is about people's lives. We don't want this to be political," Mr Shearer said.

"If you are sick, this (paperwork) is not something you should be battling through in your last weeks.

"This issue has affected local firefighters in Ballarat in recent years.

"Unfortunately they won't be the last."

He said at a building fire, where there might be burning plastic, for example, toxic fumes could be absorbed via the skin.

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"There is no guaranteed way of preventing the toxins from entering the body," the delegate said.

"We're still not fully protected, but fire services have come a long way in the last 10 years.

"Once you go to a fire, you need to decontaminate carefully.

"And once you are back at the station, there is a rule: shower within the hour.

"You have to do everything you can to reduce the risk."

The other types of cancer the union wants included in the law are lung, skin, thyroid, penile and pancreatic cancers, as well as mesothelioma.

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