AHF: Cal/OSHA to Expedite Porn Safety Regulations by New Year

LOS ANGELES — Just over a week after the AIDS Healthcare Foundation protested Cal/OSHA offices in L.A.and Oakland over OSHA’s alleged delays in updating the state’s bloodborne pathogens standards for adult film workers, the agency reportedly sent a letter to AHF stating that it “…has committed resources to the development of regulatory language,” and that “…final rulemaking documents will be sent to the (OSHA) Standard Board by the end of 2014.”

AHF first petitioned Cal/OSHA, the state’s health and safety regulatory and watchdog organization, in 2009 — asking OSHA to revise and clarify its bloodborne pathogens standards to specifically address regulations regarding condom use by adult film performers in porn productions filmed in California.

AHF staged two protests targeting OSHA offices in L.A. and Oakland on Nov. 5 and 6 — as well as a Nov. 7 press conference announcing intentions to mount a statewide voter ballot initiative for a state law mandating condom use on all porn sets in Califronia.

OSHA officials, according to AHF, sent a letter to AHF President Michael Weinstein dated Nov. 14.

The letter stated that, “The matter pending at this time is the development of regulatory language,” and that in its “…July 17, 2014 Standards Board Business Meeting, Dave Thomas, Standards Board Chair, asked the Division to expedite the process so that a public hearing could take place in the near future.” Cal/OSHA also wrote that it expects the public hearing to take place in March or April 2015.”

“I am grateful that Cal/OSHA has committed in writing to have documents to their Standards Board by the end of the year that will clarify and strengthen worker safety laws on adult film sets in California, but I am also disappointed that it has taken five years to get here,” Weinstein said.

Diane Duke, head of the FSC, has reiterated the adult industry trade association’s vehement opposition to AHF’s efforts. She slammed his recent ballot initative, saying “the bill not only takes away performers’ control over their own bodies, it pushes the industry out of California and underground, making performers ultimately less safe.”