LOS ANGELES – from www.businesswire.com –California’s Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) will convene its first meeting of an Advisory Panel to explore strengthening adult film worker safety regulations in California.

During its Standards Board meeting in March in Costa Mesa, the Board voted unanimously to convene the Advisory Panel in order to take public comment from health advocates, industry officials and the general public on whether—and how—to amend state health statutes to better protect adult film workers.

That March action came in response to a petition filed in December by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) seeking an amendment to broaden the Cal/OSHA’s “bloodborne pathogens” workplace safety regulations to better encompass adult film industry worksites.

“regulations to prevent the spread of bloodborne diseases in hospitals should extend to adult film sets. The current regulations aren’t clear enough.”

Several former adult entertainment actresses as well as several public health advocates will testify at Cal/OSHA Advisory Panel meeting in support of changing state health regulations.

WHAT: Meeting on Adult Film Worker Safety Panel to consider changes to state regs to better protect adult film workers

WHEN: TUESDAY, June 29th 2010—-10:00 AM to 3:30 PM

WHERE: Caltrans Building, 100 S. Main Street, Room #1040,Los Angeles, CA 90012

WHO: Shelley Lubben, former adult entertainment actress and founder of Pink Cross Foundation, Jan (Meza) Merritt, former adult entertainment actress and member of Pink Cross Foundation, Marcy Greer, former adult entertainment actress and member of Pink Cross Foundation; Robert Kim-Farley, MD, MPH, Director, Communicable Disease Control and Prevention Program, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health; Michael Weinstein, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, President; Brian Chase, Assistant General Counsel, AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Backgrounnd: In March, Cal/OSHA officials evaluated and acted on AHF’s petition during the Costa Mesa Standards Board meeting. In its proposed decision (www.dir.ca.gov/oshsb/petition513.html), Cal OSHA officials wrote:

“In light of the evaluations, it is apparent to the Board that serious consideration should be given to the possible amendment of Section 5193 in order to give greater protection to employees in the adult film industry.” (Emphasis added)

Background on AHF’s Petition to Cal/OSHA:

AHF filed its petition at the final 2009 meeting of the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board (Cal/OSHA) in mid-December in Sacramento. The petition sought an amendment to California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 5193 “Bloodborne Pathogens” and asked Cal/OSHA to clarify protections for workers in the adult film industry and to explicitly include a condom requirement. As reported by the Associated Press at the time, (“AIDS group wants rule requiring condoms in porn” AP, 12/16/09) AHF said, “regulations to prevent the spread of bloodborne diseases in hospitals should extend to adult film sets. The current regulations aren’t clear enough.”

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is the largest global AIDS organization. AHF currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 130,000 individuals in 22 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and the Asia Pacific Region. www.aidshealth.org

The Pink Cross Foundation is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to offering adult industry workers emotional, financial and transitional support for those who want out of the adult industry. www.thepinkcross.org and www.shelleylubben.com