LOS ANGELES—Cal/OSHA, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, has taken a step that will be of considerable interest to members of the adult industry. The governmental body has announced that it will create a new advisory committee to shape new regulations for the adult industry. The Free Speech Coalition notes that the announcement of such an advisory committee, which would ostensibly include working adult performers, is a significant shift away from the historically adversarial approach taken by Cal/OSHA Division toward the adult industry.
At this month’s meeting of the Standards Board, a Cal/OSHA Division representative said that it had already reviewed a petition for regulation from the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and expected to complete its review of a separate petition submitted by the Free Speech Coalition by early July. Once both reviews are complete, the Division stated it would begin to assemble the advisory committee.
“We can hope to see announcements for an advisory committee later this summer, and we are hopeful that this represents a new era wherein performers and those working on adult film sets are recognized as true stakeholders,” said Karen Tynan, an attorney for the adult industry specializing in employment and workplace safety. “Effective regulation can only come when performers and other industry workers have a voice in the development of the regulations that affect them.”
In February, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board declined to adopt highly restrictive regulations drafted by the Cal/OSHA Division, which would have required not only condoms, but dental dams and goggles for all adult performers while abandoning the present health protocols and strict testing regimen. At a hearing for the regulations, performers testified for nearly six hours, with many performers protesting that they had been denied a voice in regulations that affect them. At the conclusion of the hearing, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board reprimanded the Division for failing to work with adult performers when drafting regulations.
The formation of the advisory committee is expected to begin after Cal/OSHA finishes its review of the Free Speech Coalition petition on July 9, 2016.
