Saskatchewan wildland firefighters now have presumptive cancer coverage for 22 types of cancer under workers’ compensation.
Amendments to The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013 took effect Aug. 1, extending the same cancer coverage available to municipal firefighters to those who fight forest fires.
“We are committed to supporting our wildland firefighters, who have been putting themselves at risk to protect their communities,” Deputy Premier and Minister Responsible for the Workers’ Compensation Board Jim Reiter said. “Saskatchewan is leading the way in Canada with the extension of presumptive cancer coverage for 22 types of cancer.”
The presumptive coverage means wildland firefighters who develop covered cancers will not need to prove their illness was caused by their work. The province will assume the cancer is work-related.
Growing recognition across Canada
Several other provinces have recently expanded coverage for wildland firefighters, including British Columbia, which covers wildland firefighters for PTSD, heart disease and a number of cancers, and Manitoba, which amended its act to offer presumptive coverage for heart injury and some cancers.
Ontario also extended the same cancer, heart and post-traumatic stress disorder coverage to wildland firefighters that municipal firefighters receive.
Other changes to compensation act
The Saskatchewan amendments also made several administrative changes to the act. These include allowing chiropractors, health care professionals, physicians and psychiatrists licensed in other provinces to provide covered services.
The changes also let board members finish proceedings after their terms end and allow regulations to specify how the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board publishes appeal tribunal decisions.
The new coverage recognizes the health risks wildland firefighters face from smoke, chemicals and other hazardous materials during forest fires.
