Mesothelioma a Risk for Firefighters Fighting for Workers Compensation in Pennsylvania
Though 31 states recognize that cancer development in firefighters is likely due to conditions the firefighters were exposed to on the job, Pennsylvania continues to fail to recognize cancer as an occupational illness for firefighters diagnosed in the state.
In the states that recognize cancer as an occupational illness, firefighters may collect workers’ compensation to aid in healthcare expenses and assist with wage reimbursement. The Pennsylvania Professional Fire Fighters Association (PPFFA), an organization representing more than 10,000 professional firefighters throughout the state, is working to change the current law to resemble the law in place in the 31 states that recognize the connection between cancer and occupational exposure to certain health hazards.
One such hazard is asbestos, a toxic mineral known to cause a myriad of health conditions including the rare cancer mesothelioma. Malignant mesothelioma patients typically do not demonstrate symptoms of the cancer until decades after initial exposure to asbestos occurs, allowing the cancer to enter later stages of development. This can make treatment difficult, which contributes to the overall poor prognosis associated with mesothelioma.
The bill proposed by PPFFA “actually mimics what 31 states currently have,” said Art Martynuska, President of PPFFA. “If you are involved in the fire service and you come down with one of several types of cancer, the presumption is that you got that as a result of exposure to things on the job.”
Having already received approval by the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, the bill must now go before the state senate.
“By the nature of our business we have more of a chance of coming down with one of these cancers that can be directly related to what we do on a daily basis. It’s an occupational hazard that we have to deal with,” said Martynuska.
Additional information about occupational exposure to asbestos and mesothelioma may be found through the Mesothelioma Center.
