COSTA MESA, Calif. — Adult filmmaking stakeholders who reside in Southern California Should mark on their calendars the date of the next meeting of the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board.
On April 20, the Standards Board, which meets monthly at locations up and down the state, will hold a public hearing in Costa Mesa, Calif., about 40 miles from Los Angeles.
While the issue of bloodborne pathogen exposure on adult film sets is not on the Standards Board’s agenda, there will be a public comment period for stakeholders to offer their views on all topics.
The Standards Board eventually will decide the fate of two polar-opposite petitions affecting adult performers and producers on the set. The pair of proposals have been on the table in front of the Standards Board for about a year.
The Free Speech Coalition filed with state officials Petition 560, a proposal that would focus on new alternatives for barrier control, including the use of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PReP) and vaccines, along with current standards like the FSC’s performer test solution, the PASS system.
The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, meanwhile, has pushed for Petition 557, which is similar to the ill-fated § 5193.1, which was shot down by the Standards Board in February 2016.
The draft legislation for § 5193.1 would have greatly expanded barrier protection for porn performers and likely would have required performers to wear goggles to avoid ocular infections and dental dams for oral sex.
In late January, members of adult filmmaking community, including those from the FSC and the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee, debated merits of both petitions with members of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation in a 6½-hour advisory meeting in Oakland.
The advisory meeting sought out dialogue over the adult entertainment industry’s protocols for business structures, employment relationships and decision-making.
The Oakland meeting also questioned whether there is a need to amend or expand bloodborne pathogens standards in the state for porn performers. Currently, the state has its own standards for professional boxers and martial arts fighters.
The meeting, moderated by a Cal/OSHA official, was informational, but no vote was scheduled to be taken over the two competing petitions proposed by both the FSC and AHF.
Cal/OSHA, instead, planned to go over testimony and decide on the next step, which still hasn’t been decided. One idea, a Cal/OSHA official told XBIZ, was to hold yet another advisory meeting.
Eric Paul Leue, the executive director of the FSC, said that the Costa Mesa meeting is a prime opportunity for performers and other stakeholders based in Southern California to make their feelings be known to the Standards Board officials during the time allowed for public comment.
Standards Board hearings through the year are held on a rotating basis in Oakland, Sacramento, Walnut Creek, San Diego and Pasadena, as well as Costa Mesa.
“The Free Speech Coalition will once again be present at the upcoming Standards Board meeting to voice our support for Petition 560 and address some of the issues with pending Cal/OSHA regulations,” Leue told XBIZ.
“While this is not an event specifically focused on our industry, we do want to use the available public comment period to address the ongoing regulatory process in a focused fashion and to push for another large advisory hearing with performer input.
“We will be assembling a small group of performers to come with us and ask that anyone who wishes to be part of that to contact [FSC Public Policy Director] Siouxsie Q or me."
The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board meeting on April 20 will be held at Costa Mesa City Hall, Council Chambers, 77 Fair Dr., Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626. The meeting begins at 10 a.m.
Leue can be emailed at eric@freespeechcoalition.com, Siouxsie Q can be reached at siouxsie@freespeechcoalition.com.
