Kink Fined by California State OSHA for “Safety Violations”

Kink Hit with Cal State OSHA Fine

The state of California's Division of Occupational Safety and Health fined Kink with a proposed $146,400 fine for multiple safety violations, including attempting to punish Kink for not requiring performers to use condoms during sex scenes.

The proposed penalty against Kink—based out of San Francisco—is for failing to abide by the state’s blood-borne pathogens standard. This fine is happening three months after the state's workplace safety board in Oakland voted down modifications to the condom rule, following statements and lobbying done by porn performers, producers, and directors who were very vocal about how mandatory condom usage helps no one.

An OSHA press release indicated that a November inspection revealed that Kink did not require performers to use condoms during at least five productions. It also cited eleven other safety violations by the company, including failure to guard the blades of a table saw on-site and failure to ensure first aid safety materials were “in usable condition.”

The press release goes on to say that  this is the second time in the last five years that Kink has been cited for failing to provide adult actors with condoms during production of a film. This means to them that the condom rule violation is “willful serious” and therefore can carry the largest penalties. Kink will appeal these new fines to the state's OSHA judge, who enforced the last fines.

Anti-porn lobbyist Michael Weinstein of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation is believed to be behind these latest fines against Kink.

Kink believes that the fines are motivated to punish the studio. Kink spokesman Justin Stabile said in a press release, "This is selective enforcement based on political speech . . . Weinstein has repeatedly said that he chooses who to file complaints against based on their opposition to his own desire to see condoms in adult films. Cal/OSHA was created to protect and defend workers, not harass them for political means.”

Kink is going to appeal these fines and I just have to remind you that it is a fine time to pay for the porn you enjoy seeing in the world so that people can continue to make it, regardless of being up against assholes like these.