Health Risks and Fair Compensation in the Fire Service

This book is an overview of the hazards of firefighting, the health risks of exposure to combustion products that characterize firefighting, the science behind interpreting these risks for purposes of identifying diseases as work-related, and the legal and policy implications of adopting legislated presumption for purposes of compensation. The emphasis of the book will be on the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, traumatic hazards, and disabling psychosocial adjustment following major incidents. Several new studies have appeared recently, including the largest study of firefighters ever done, by the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH). They evidence supports the conclusion that firefighters face significant occupational health risks in addition to the obviously severe safety hazards.

Firefighters face many work-related hazards and their elevated risk for serious chronic disease and injury results in a burden and gives rise to many claims for workers' compensation This book is a detailed and interdisciplinary resource for understanding and documenting these risks, both in general and in the individual case This resource summarizes and explains the vast research literatures on disease risk (including cancer), the hazards of fire smoke, lifestyle health risk factors, and unique aspects of firefighting of practical importance in managing health risk Beyond this one occupation, the book describes and gives examples of how to use epidemiology, toxicology, and other scientific approaches to general causation, the limitations of these approaches, and the translation of scientific knowledge into policy for worker protection The book describes the history, evolution, and rationale for legislation for presumption of work-relationship for particular cancers, which is now well established in most US and Australian states and Canadian provinces. Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext
Tee L. Guidotti, MD, MPH, DABT (DABT is a recognized toxicology credential), physician, occupational epidemiologist, toxicologist. Dr. Guidotti will serve as overall editor. Alex Forrest, LLD, lawyer, firefighter and President of the United Firefighters of Winnipeg (IAFF) Nancy Lightfoot, PhD, MSc, occupational and community health, cancer epidemiologist and expert on wildfire effects.

Inhalt

1. Introduction, Ambassador Gary Doe.- 2. Fire fighters at risk, Tee Guidotti.- 3. Fire fighting, Alex Forrest.- 4. Traumatic Hazards of Fire fighting, Alex Forrest.- 5. Ergonomic Hazards of Fire fighting, Tee Guidotti.- 6. Toxic Hazards of Fire fighting,Tee Guidotti.- 7. Psychosocial Hazards of Fire fighting, Nancy Lightfoot.- 8. Assessing the Health Risks of Fire fighting: Epidemiology, Nancy Lightfoot.- 9. Interpreting Health Risks for Compensation, Tee Guidotti.- 10. Cardiovascular Risks of Fire fighting, Nancy Lightfoot.- 11.Respiratory Risks of Fire fighting, Tee Guidotti.- 12. Cancer Risk and Fire fighting, Tee Guidotti.- 13. Reducing the Risks of Fire fighting, Alex Forrest.- 14.Compensating the Risks of Fire fighting, Alex Forrest.- 15. Presumption and Fairness in Compensation, Alex Forrest.- 16. Impact of Fair Compensation on the Fire Service, Alex Forrest and Ken Block.