Cal/OSHA Hearing Tries to Stay Focused on Definitions

LOS ANGELES—More than one hundred adult performers, agents and producers showed up at the CalTrans Building in downtown Los Angeles this morning for the hearing on “blood-borne pathogens in the adult film industry,” as part of the Cal/OSHA Advisory Sub-committee on Controlled Measures. The first item on the agenda was a discussion of the “definitions” contained in the 17-page “discussion draft,” which was to be the entire subject of today’s meeting. Specifically, definitions that were discussed included “adult entertainment,” “exposure incident,” “barrier” and “consortium PLHCP,” which essentially involves the testing services that will take the place of the now-defunct AIM Medical Associates. The actual discussion, however, went far afield from those four topics to include such issues as whether the exposure definition could apply to such diverse activities as mixed martial arts or kissing in Hollywood movies. Several performers also wanted to discuss their status as independent contractors rather than employees, as the sub-committee’s chair, Cal/OSHA Senior Engineer Deborah Gold, would have them be labeled. Stay tuned for further updates from the hearing this afternoon.