Warwickshire firefighters are to be eligible for 48 weeks of maternity pay in a bid to combat cancer risks for new mothers and their babies.

The proposal from Warwickshire Fire & Rescue to increase the allowance for operational staff was brought on the back of studies that show firefighters to be at an increased risk of developing cancer due to the toxins present in the environments in which they work.

Ongoing research shows that breastfeeding mothers can pass these toxins to their babies with the full year off – when dovetailed with leave accrued during maternity – one of the mitigations.

It follows on from the service implementing clean and dirty areas for personal protective equipment (PPE) and removing expectant mothers from operational duties as soon as they report pregnancies.

As

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