Amendment Statement of Principles

concerning

ACUTE LYMPHOBLASTIC LEUKAEMIA

No. 37 of 2016

for the purposes of the

Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986

and

Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004

1. This Instrument may be cited as Amendment Statement of Principles concerning acute lymphoblastic leukaemia No. 37 of 2016.
2. The Repatriation Medical Authority amends, under subsection 196B(8) of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986, Statement of Principles concerning acute lymphoblastic leukaemia Instrument No. 75 of 2012, by:

(A)        Replacing existing factor "(b)" in clause 6 with the following:

"(b) being exposed to benzene as specified:

(i)              for a cumulative total of at least 2 500 hours within a continuous period of five years before the clinical onset of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia; and

(ii)              where the first exposure in that period occurred at least five years before the clinical onset of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia; or";

(B)         Inserting new factor "(ba)" following factor "(b)" in clause 6 as follows:

"(ba) receiving greater than ten ppm-years of cumulative exposure to benzene before the clinical onset of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, and where the first exposure occurred at least five years before the clinical onset of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia; or";

(C)         Replacing the definition of "being exposed to benzene" in clause 9 with the definition of "being exposed to benzene as specified" as follows:

'"being exposed to benzene as specified" means:

(a)               having cutaneous contact with liquids containing benzene greater than 1% by volume; or

(b)              ingesting liquids containing benzene greater than 1% by volume; or

(c)               inhaling benzene vapour where such exposure occurs at an ambient 8-hour time-weighted average benzene concentration exceeding five parts per million;'; and

(D)        Inserting a definition of "ppm-years" in alphabetical order in clause 9 as follows:

'"ppm-years" means parts per million multiplied by years of exposure;'.

3.                     The amendments made by this instrument apply to all matters to which Instrument No. 75 of 2012, section 120A of the Veterans’ Entitlements Act 1986 and section 338 of the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2004 apply.

4.                     The amendments made by this instrument take effect from 4 April 2016.

Dated this   fourth   day of   March   2016

The Common Seal of the  )

Repatriation Medical Authority )

was affixed at the direction of: )

PROFESSOR NICHOLAS SAUNDERS AO

CHAIRPERSON