CHATSWORTH, Calif. — Jake Cruise, operator of the namesake gay adult production company, today criticized a recent Cal/OSHA complaint that led to $11,360 in fines levied against his company's studio for workplace violations.
Jake Cruise Media — offering content on JakeCruise.com, CockSureMen.com and SG4GE.com — received the fines in early August for citations issued for not having an exposure control plan ($5,400), for not observing precautions over bloodborne pathogens ($5,400) and for not having an injury and illness prevention program ($500).
Cruise, in a tweet today, said that the Cal/OSHA citations and fines are why he doesn't shoot in California anymore.
"Even I'm not allowed to eat cum!" Cruise tweeted. "Ridiculous."
XBIZ was unable to reach Cruise for further comment on the workplace safety violations and fines by post time.
News of the fines were announced by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in a press release disseminated last night.
In the release, the AHF's president, Michael Weinstein, again derided the adult entertainment film industry in California and said that the porn industry is ignoring current laws despite the fact that porn-condom law AB 1576 stalled in California's Legislature.
AHF sponsored AB 1576, as well as Measure B in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Cal/OSHA's "latest fine to an adult film industry production company — in this instance, to Jake Cruise Media — for bareback filming serves as a reminder to the industry that condom use in adult film production already is — and remains — the law under existing Cal/OSHA authority,” Weinstein said.
But BDSM producer Peter Acworth, who runs Kink.com as CEO and founder, today charged that it's Weinstein's opinion that condoms are required by existing California and federal OSHA laws.
"In reality, the law states that employers must 'minimize risk,' and if they fail to do so they must use 'barriers,'" Acworth told XBIZ. "The word 'condom' does not exist in the current law.
"We at Kink.com believe we will ultimately prevail in our OSHA case based on the position that regular testing minimizes the risk as per the law as written."
In January, Kink.com was levied $78,000 in fines over similar complaints over workplace violations.
"If condoms were really required by this general law, it would also apply to amateur boxers to use protective headgear as there is a phenomenal amount of blood and a much higher risk of transmission than in adult video."