A SURVEY looking at suspected links between firefighting, contaminants and cancer will be completed in the next few days as part of a campaign aimed at changing the law.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and the University of Central Lancashire are conducting the research to establish whether there are connections between firefighting and a host of diseases.

The project seeks an understanding of how firefighters encounter contaminants and how protective equipment is used.

Every fire contains a mixture of toxic chemicals and, according to the FBU, research suggests that firefighters are more likely to develop cancer and other illnesses.

When firefighters abroad, including in parts of the United States, Canada and Australia, develop cancer, the disease is automatically presumed to be linked to their exposure to contaminants through their work, the union noted.

General secretary Matt Wrack said: “Tragically it is commonplace to hear about firefighters or former firefighters suffering from cancer and other illnesses.

“In many other parts of the world, this is presumed in legislation to be linked to the toxic contaminants they encounter as firefighters, but in the UK that’s not the case.

“We need UK-based evidence that firefighting can cause serious long-term health damage so that we can attempt to minimise contamination.

“We need to figure out what’s going wrong with current decontamination practices to stop people from getting ill in the first place.

“Firefighters risk their own safety every day as it is – they shouldn't carry that risk for the rest of their lives.

“There is no clearer way we can help than funding research that could ultimately save firefighters’ lives.”

The survey of firefighters closes on Sunday.