BULLETIN 076 | 17 Jul 2019

BULLETIN

Bulletin No: 076 | Wednesday 17 July 2019

To: ALL UFU MFB MEMBERS

 

Very important message – We need your participation – Please do not let this important study lapse

FINAL WEEKS TO REGISTER FOR MFB/UFU PFAS BLOOD STUDY

FAQs answered below

 

As members are aware, the PFAS Blood Reduction Study is a union-fought-for and union-won blood study to examine the potential reduction of PFAS in the blood of fire service personnel.

It is vital that all eligible current and retired MFB personnel – not just limited to career firefighters – participate in this world-first study.

Members have TWO WEEKS LEFT to register their participation.

Please note the following clarifications as the UFU understands that there has been some questions and confusion at workplaces.

 

YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IF:

  • You are a current or retired MFB employee
  • You have had 10 or more years of PFAS exposure or have suspected elevated PFAS levels (this is overall PFAS exposure regardless of employer or workplace)
  • You have the ability to donate blood
  • You are under 70 years old

 

STEPS TO PARTICIPATE:

  1. Arrange a screening appointment. To do this (or for any questions you have about the study), please contact the Study Coordinator Gab Silver at pfasclinicalstudy@mq.edu.au or call 0466 938 448.
  2. Attend your screening visit. Screening visits only take around 45min and are conducted at St. Vincent’s Medical Centre, (The Daniel Mannix Building, Mezzanine level, 8-14 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy), which is a 5min walk from No. 1 Station. Parking is available at No. 1 dependant on availability.  If you attend on your day off, you are entitled to 4 hours overtime spent attending the first screening (Overtime code 0335.  Email details of your visit to your Commander)
  3. All subsequent visits for blood/plasma donations can occur at ANY Red Cross Blood Service Donor Centre

 

A FINAL NOTE …

This study was fought for by the Union on your behalf, in a bid to find a fix to the high PFAS levels in firefighters’ blood as result of harmful exposures on the fire ground, at training colleges including Fiskville and more. 

Without your participation, this study is redundant. The UFU urgently calls on MFB operational and non-operational members to participate in this study.  After years of exposure to PFAS, this is an opportunity to be involved in a union-fought-for and endorsed study. 

The CFA is not participating in this study.  Despite the study not being run in the CFA, CFA professional members will still benefit from the outcomes as their training and work environment is the same or substantially similar to their MFB counterparts. 

 

Strength in Unity
READ OUT AT MUSTER AND PIN ON NOTICE BOARD
Authorised by Peter Marshall, Branch Secretary