Terms of Reference – Firefighter Case Study Case File Review
Aims
1. To test the hypothesis that up to 75 Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Firefighter
Personnel who have previously submitted claims to the Department of Veterans’
Affairs (DVA) and which were rejected, may now have health conditions which in the
past were not recognised.
2. To review rejected case file claims and medical health records of this group against
the Literature Review as provided by Prof Tee Guidotti.
3. To recommend if any claims decisions require reconsideration following case file
review.
4. To determine if the group has any previously unrecognized clusters or trends in
conditions.
Objectives
Dr Graeme Peel is to:
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Review up to 75 Firefighter medical and Service case files including all F-111 Tier
classified Firefighters;
Liaise with Prof Tee Guidotti regarding his specialist medical advice (Literature Review)
which will form the basis for your specialist File Reviews;
For individual claimants, provide a recommendation as to whether the claims
determinations should be reconsidered due to new medical evidence arising from the
Literature Review;
For the RAAF firefighter mustering as a whole, provide a recommendation regarding
occupational exposure and linked health outcomes (if any);
Provide an interim report to the Department of Defence and Department of Veterans’
Affairs Doctors Advisory Committee (DAC) at the conclusion of each 10 case file
reviews; and
Provide a summary report to DAC at the conclusion of all case file reviews.
Medical Aspects:
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Review all diagnosed accepted or diagnosed rejected conditions under the Safety
Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (SRCA) and Veterans Entitlement Act 1986
(VEA);
Consider recommendations from the Literature Review (Prof Guidotti);
Look for clusters of, or trends in, diagnosed medical conditions;
Look for previously claimed but rejected health conditions which may now be linked, but
in the past were not recognized;
Consider details of all abnormal pathology, imaging and any other tests (such as clinical
assessments) throughout service, significant incidents/events, specialist consultations and
key diagnosed conditions; and
Determine period of disease onset from period of exposure.
Occupational Aspects:
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Any relevant occupational chemical exposure evidence within each case file, plus any
likely exposures based on the updated lists of chemical contaminants to be provided by
CAF;
Dates of service;
Dates/period/type of exposure;
Estimate posting history via PM105s.
Terms of Reference- Firefighter Literature Review
Prof Tee Guidotti is to:
provide an up to dated Literature Review of the contemporary medical/scientific literature on
the occupational exposures and possible health effects on firefighters, both civilian and
military, with specific consideration of the occupational exposures and chemical
contaminants included in the list provided by the Chief of Air Force in relation to RAAF
firefighters (see below).
Occupational Aspects:
 All associated chemical exposures- respiratory, contact, ingestion etc. provided by Chief
of Air Force (CAF).
 List of chemical contaminants listed from RAAF Point Cook environmental survey.
 Focus on the RAAF Firefighter occupational exposure information provided by Chief of
Air Force (CAF).