CANOGA PARK, Calif.—The Free Speech Coalition has announced that it will attend a Cal-OSHA Advisory Meeting with a group of industry representatives to discuss bloodborne pathogen regulations for the adult industry.
The public forum format meeting is being held June 29, from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. at the Caltrans Building located at 100 S Main St., Room 1040A, in downtown Los Angeles.
In March, the Cal-OSHA Board of Directors approved two advisory meetings in order to hear commentary from adult industry stakeholder and other interested parties.
The meeting was prompted by HIV advocacy organization AIDS Healthcare Foundation to pressure local and state agencies to enforce bloodborne pathogen regulations on adult production sets—including mandatory condom usage.
A second Cal-OSHA meeting is anticipated to be held in the Bay Area in October.
The AHF has been meddling in the business of the adult entertainment industry for sometime now. Since last June it’s filed numerous complaints about adult studios in California and Florida for alleged workplace safety violations.
The group also has intruded upon the discretion of the Los Angeles Department of Public Health, suing the agency for what it deemed negligence in not enforcing Cal-OSHA regulations. The suit was dismissed in Los Angeles Superior Court in December, but was appealed by AHF.
Most recently, AHF filed complaints with the California Labor Board against nine adult talent agencies.
“We expect AHF and the Pink Cross Foundation to be at the meeting with their usual theatrical antics,” FSC Executive Director Diane Duke said. “FSC has organized a group of professional representatives from throughout the industry to speak as the clear voice of reason in this debate.
“FSC is working strategically on a number of fronts to make sure that the stakeholders—adult industry producers, performers and set workers—are able to be heard above the noise of these anti-adult industry organizations and their political agendas.”
In addition to attending the meetings, FSC is working with industry members to develop a petition voicing performers’ concerns over mandatory condom regulation. FSC also has developed the FSC Health & Safety Manual for adult businesses; the exclusive publication contains information about basic Cal-OSHA compliance and is available to FSC members at no charge.
For more information, call Duke at (818) 348-9373 or email [email protected].
