LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) filed a formal ‘Notice of Alleged Safety or Health Hazards’ complaint last week with Nevada OSHA (Nevada’s Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Occupational Safety and Health), the state’s health and safety regulatory and watchdog organization, against Bay Area adult film production company Cybernet Entertainment LLC, also doing business as Kink Studios, LLC and Kink.com (as well as DBA Hogtied.com and DBA Behindkink.com), over recent filming that may have exposed employees—adult film performers—to infectious disease by exposure to blood and other potentially infectious materials. In this complaint, dated and filed July 25, 2014, officials from AHF asserted:
“On June 8, 2014 in Las Vegas, NV, employees engaged in acts for an adult film owned and operated by Cybernet Entertainment LLC titled Hogtied Whores that resulted in exposure to bloodborne pathogens and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). The website, Hogtied.com, which is owned by Cybernet Entertainment LLC, contains still images, video footage, and a film trailer that clearly demonstrate Cybernet Entertainment LLC allowed, and upon information and belief may have encouraged, employees to engage in activities in Las Vegas that are highly likely to spread bloodborne pathogens and OPIM in the workplace. Federal and state governing measures must be taken to control the spread of bloodborne pathogens and OPIM, which include, but are not limited to, HIV, hepatitis C, and syphilis in the workplace.”
“Under the guise of his various Kink and Kink.com adult film businesses and brands, owner Peter Acworth thinks he and his companies can simply ignore the Federal OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard with regard to required condom use in his adult film productions shot in Nevada. This new complaint in Nevada is based on the simple fact that they cannot hide from federal law there, or anywhere in the U.S.,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “When we first proposed the Los Angeles City bill, the industry said they’d film in other L.A. cities. When we proposed Measure B for L.A. County, the industry said they’d film in other counties. And when we proposed AB 1576, the industry said they’d film outside of California. Here, Mr. Acworth will no doubt find out that both Nevada and Federal OSHA statutes apply as well. Are workers in Nevada any less entitled to protection from harm than those in California?”
In August, 2013, AHF filed a similar ‘Notice of Alleged Safety or Health Hazards’ complaint with officials at the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health targeting Kink.com and Kink Studios LLC over California filming that may have exposed performers to HIV. The complaint was filed after the entire industry halted production and declared a moratorium on filming after a female performer involved in a Kink filming in San Francisco disclosed that she was HIV-positive and had apparently sero-converted in the window period between two of her industry-mandated HIV tests—and a time period during which she continued to work as a performer in the industry. On January 30, 2014—citing numerous workplace safety violations—Cal/OSHA issued fines totaling $78,710 against Acworth’s Kink Studios, LLC and Kink.com—a record fine for a porn producer. (chart of itemized fines).
About AIDS Healthcare Foundation
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to nearly 320,000 individuals in 34 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare
