On November 6, 2000, President Clinton signed the Federal Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act into law. This new law* will ensure that health care workers have access to safety-engineered sharps devices that can provide added protection against potential infection with HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

BD is dedicated to assisting our customers with compliance to the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Law. Consistent with our customers' compliance requirements, BD will continue to expand our supply of safety-engineered devices, while continuing to produce conventional sharps devices for appropriate applications.

In addition, BD has launched the Safety Compliance Initiative to raise end-user awareness of the risk of needlestick and other sharps injuries. Also, providing substantial support for the EPINet™ program, which tracks and analyzes needlestick injuries, and supporting the University of Virginia's International Health Care Worker Safety Center are tasks to which BD is fully dedicated.

Needlesticks and other sharps injuries present an exposure risk to hepatitis B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV), HIV and other bloodborne pathogens and represent an occupational hazard to over 5.6 million workers in the healthcare industry. BD is a pioneer in the development of safety products designed to protect health care workers and is actively seeking to expand the market for products that protect against sharps injuries.

BD has dedicated more money, human resources and technical know-how to the task of reducing sharps injuries than any other company. With more than $500 million spent on manufacturing and R&D along with the approval of 75 new patents for safety devices over the past 12 years, BD leads the world in providing the means for reducing healthcare worker injuries.

BD is the leader in raising awareness of risks faced by health care workers and the methods for increasing safety. Our company's goal is to educate and inform institutions and the people at risk. Today, we have the most extensive array of safety-engineered devices in the industry, including blood collection systems, syringes and infusion therapy systems, and are the acknowledged leader in providing the newest generations of technology and educational services.

*Note: The Needlestick Safety and Prevention law serves to reinforce the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Directive issued on November 5, 1999. Complete compliance to the law is required by April 18, 2001. However, until this date, the Federal OSHA Compliance Directive remains in effect and OSHA fines are enforceable.

EPINet™ is a trademark of University of Virginia