If California’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has anything to say about it, actors and actresses in California’s adult film industry will have to have an extra layer of protection the next time they…ahem…get to work. 

The bill, prompted by concerns over HIV and AIDS transmission in the adult fim industry, hasn’t made it very far in the legislature, but it covers (pun intended) a variety of safety precautions that adult film stars may now have to take to keep their bodily fluids mostly to themselves. The bill calls for compuslory condom use as well as employer-provided protective equipment including gloves for cleaning and, yes, protective eyewear so that when things get hot and heavy, everyone’s vision is adequately defended. 

Porn stars could soon be forced to don far more protection than just condoms in California. New rules proposed last week by the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHA) would require adult film actors to wear eye gear for many scenes. The rules, which have yet to be finalized, would also impose strict hygiene standards and outlaw common porn practices.

Porn companies, actors and even some health advocates say the new rules are unnecessary.

“These are regulations designed for medical settings, and are unworkable on an adult film set — or even a Hollywood film set,” said Diane Duke, CEO of the Free Speech Coalition, a trade association for the adult entertainment industry. She said the rules would stigmatize performers and risk “shutting down an entire industry.”

That’s definitely going to cut into the mood.

According to Cal/OSHA, these rules are actually already in place, but adult films mostly don’t follow them. The new law is specifically tailored to target the adult film industry. So while they may have been getting away with not wearing goggles when on set before, because of Cal/OSHA’s deep concern for blood-borne pathogens in the adult film industry, they may now be acting around their eye protection lest they run afoul of law enforcement officials who are not, by definition, just sexy cops. 

Like most over-regulation, California’s targeting of the adult film industry has resulted in fewer permits being issued for adult films. Whether that’s a good or bad thing depends, I suppose, on your (likely goggle-less) point of view.