Police crime-scene investigator's death sparks call for cancer law reform

Mark Bransgrove worked for about 20 years as a NSW police crime-scene investigator, often handling fire scenes without adequate protective equipment. In early 2024 he was diagnosed with stage-four urothelial carcinoma, a bladder cancer linked to prolonged exposure to carcinogenic fire residues, a connection. The disease and its treatment cost him and his wife $130,000 before he died in July.

Unlike firefighters, police officers are not automatically presumed to have contracted listed cancers from their work, requiring them to prove causation. Elizabeth Bransgrove, with backing from the state police union, is lobbying for legislative changes—sometimes called “Mark’s Law”—to extend presumptive coverage to police fire investigators. A government spokesperson said the issue is being closely watched and that feedback from workers, families and unions is welcomed.