Firefighters’ union calls on state government to add female reproductive cancers to presumptive legislation

South Australia’s female firies are fighting a shocking new “gender bias” in the industry that affects their health.

Laws that assume male reproductive cancers — but not female ones — have arisen from employment as a firefighter have been labelled a case of “gender bias” that must be rectified.

The state government is facing calls to expand the list of “presumptive” cancers to include eight others, including ovarian and cervical cancer as well as mesothelioma.

The 12 already on the list – which include brain, bladder, kidney, testicular and prostate cancers – are known to occur disportionately higher among firefighters because of their exposure to smoke and other hazardous substances.

In evidence before a parliamentary committee, the United Firefighters Union (UFU) said female reproductive cancers had not been included because women were under-represented in the workforce.

The United Firefighters Union wants more cancers added to the presumptive legislation. Picture: Emma Brasier

“When the first evidence came through, there wasn’t enough evidence to be able to prove that female firefighters were getting cancer at a higher rate because there weren’t many of them. We’ve only got 45 in the service,” senior industrial officer Dan Farmer said.

“Now, with the growing number of them across the world ... it has highlighted to use that there is gender bias everywhere.”

The committee heard the disparity between the way reproductive cancers have been treated is “phenomenal”, and the Tasmanian government has already moved to fix the problem.

SA-Best MLC Connie Bonaros, committee chair, said current laws have become “grossly outdated”, and she would raise the matter with the state government “as a matter of urgency”.

SA-Best MLC Connie Bonaros said she will raise the matter with the state government. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Mariuz

“This is obviously an area that requires urgent and robust attention to ensure female firefighter inflicted with reproductive cancers with no history of exposure to radiation and the like are appropriately protected like their male colleagues,” she said.

A state government spokesman said Emergency Services Minister Joe Szakacs was aware of proposals to expand the list of presumptive cancers in SA, and is discussing potential improvements to the scheme with the UFU.

He said SA Labor had a proud history of supporting the health and welfare of firefighters, including the introduction of presumptive cancer compensation during the previous Labor government.

“South Australia was a leading state in this reform, and one of the first to implement the change,” he said.

“Longitudinal studies which led to the implementation in South Australia were based on historical periods when there was a significant gender imbalance in firefighting workforces around the world.”