All areas of employment carry an element of risk to workers'
health. Those risks vary by profession, and some types of
workplace injury may be specific to a particular job.
Firefighters are exposed to numerous hazards while on the job,
although some are less obvious than others. A recent decision by
the government of British Columbia has expanded the list of
ailments eligible for compensation.
Firefighters routinely face the risk of burns, injuries
from a fall, collapsing structures and other physical hazards.
They are also at an increased risk for various illnesses, including
many forms of cancer. In 2005, the province and WorkSafe
BC issued a list of 10 forms of cancer commonly seen in
firefighters that were recognized as illnesses acquired on the
job, meaning firefighters are presumptively believed to have
contracted those illnesses as a result of their profession,
entitling them to WorkSafe benefits. The list included brain,
testicular and lung cancer, to name a
