The number of cancer cases among firefighters in the concerned

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Laurence Houde-Roy

Wednesday, 28 February 2018 18:05

UPDATE
Wednesday, 28 February 2018 18:09

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The number of cancer cases among firefighters in the Montreal exposed to contaminants from the flames of concern to the elected representatives of the metropolis who will meet the fire Department soon to find new avenues of prevention.

Since 2002, 87 complaints to the standards Commission, equity, health and safety in the workplace (CNESST) for cancers in firefighters in Montreal have been accepted in connection with their work under the flames, indicates a document of the City, which will be presented to the elected officials in the coming weeks.

Cancers of the lung and bladder arrive each former equally matched in a head of cancer listed in the firefighters of Montreal, followed by the cancer of the kidneys.

The elected representatives of the public safety Commission of Montreal will focus on these cases of cancer among fire fighters in the framework of a meeting on the 13th of march next, where the fire Service will be asked about the situation in order to improve current practices to better protect workers.

Link between firefighting and cancer

The link between the development of cancer and the job of a firefighter has been confirmed in 2010 by the atlantic Institute for research on cancer (IARC) in a search. It indicates that the risk is mainly due to the contaminants that are found in certain materials in the buildings in flames, as the computer-based materials, plastics and treated wood.

“The gas and the smoke became a deadly mixture of particles and nanoparticles, which may contain not less than 200 contaminants, which can cause poisoning, asphyxiation, or suffocation, respiratory diseases and some cancers,” states the document of the City.

While Quebec had a delay on the recognition of certain types of cancers related to the job as a firefighter compared to the other provinces of Canada, it is only in 2016 that the CNESST has identified seven types of cancer that may be related to the profession. Authentication, however, depends on the number of years of exposure, and may exclude certain cases, such as those of smokers.

The fire Department of Montreal was the same year increased its prevention among firefighters by making formally mandatory for the firefighters of the port of holding full of combat at the scene of a fire as well as showers and more frequent cleaning of the equipment during and after the interventions.