M10.8 Blog about an occupationally-related disease

One of Cal/OSHA's work safety program focuses on the adult industry and keeping them safe from diseases such as HIV and hepatitis A/B/C, among many other diseases. This is often a taboo topic and it is certainly not one of first occupations people think of as having high occupational hazards. While most STIs can be treated fairly easily, there are some diseases that have more serious consequences such as HIV/AIDS and HEP A/B/C. Even those STIs easily treated, like chlamydia and gonorrhea, have potential to cause infertility. There is also the high risk of transmitting these infections among workplace partners.

Cal/OSHA has helped create regulations that require production companies to enforce condom use during work. They have fined many companies large sums of money when they found the companies to be in violation of these regulations. They enforce regulations through the Bloodborne Pathogens standards, which requires employers to protect their employees using universal precautions. To ensure that employees are protected, they have a hotline that workers can call to make an anonymous complaint. Keeping the identity anonymous is a very big deal and allows workers to come forward without feeling like their safety or job security is in jeopardy.