NH Bill Aims to Help Firefighters with Mesothelioma

Last fall, tort reform advocates busily peddled the FACT Act to lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Meanwhile, a New Hampshire lawmaker took note of the relatively quiet release of a study about cancer among firefighters. The joint study by the National Fire Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) revealed the devastating impact of job-related asbestos exposure on firefighters. It’s also being used to bolster support for a law to fund workers’ compensation for New Hampshire firefighters who have developed mesothelioma and other cancers. Study Suggests 'Occupational Disease' from Asbestos Hazards The National Fire Administration/NIOSH study was published in the October 2013 issue of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and aimed to clarify whether there is a relationship between occupational exposure and cancer among firefighters. The study examined mortality patterns and cancer incidence among career firefighters and is among the largest of its kind. Researchers looked at a pool of nearly 30,000 firefighters employed in San Francisco, Chicago and Philadelphia between 1950 and 2009. Firefighters’ work exposes them to known and suspected carcinogens like formaldehyde and benzene. The study shows that such exposure is linked to an increased risk of developing certain cancers. The findings were consistent with previous studies which found that firefighters experience higher rates of respiratory, digestive and urinary cancers, com...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Legislation, Laws & Litigation Source Type: news