CalOSHA Fines Factory Video for Health Code Violations

SAN FRANCISCO—AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) has announced that thanks to complaints it filed with the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (CalOSHA), small San Francisco-based bareback producer Factory Video Productions has been fined nearly $60,000 for several violations of California Code of Regulations Title 8 Section 5193. Among the five "serious" violations the company allegedly committed were failing to maintain an exposure control plan, "failure to observe and practice universal precautions for possible contact with or exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials," and failure to "eliminate or minimize employee exposure to '... splashing, spraying, spattering and generation of droplets of ... blood or other potentially infectious materials' (OPIM). Each of those violations cost Factory $9,000, with the rest of the fine being made up of "general" or "regulatory" violations. "I am very pleased to see that CalOSHA is really starting to step up its enforcement of existing California health and safety statutes that have long required the use of condoms in adult films produced anywhere in California," said AHF president Michael Weinstein. "All workers deserve a safe workplace, including those primarily young, often powerless people working as performers in the adult film industry. To OSHA, I say ‘thank you’ and advise those porn industry producers who continue to ignore and break the law that we intend to continue to file similar workplace safety complaints." AHF has filed several complaints with CalOSHA over the past few years, at least two of which resulted in fines from the agency, including Hustler Video and Streamray Studios. However, after a series of hearings held earlier this year, complaints filed two years ago by AHF against Treasure Island Media appear likely to be dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction. As AVN has previously noted, the lack of  "universal precautions" and "engineering and work practice controls" which led Factory Video's fines are the same complaints AHF has registered against several hetero adult producers in the Los Angeles area.