State and Federal Safety Needle Legislation Moves

July 11, 2000

VERNON, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 10, 2000 via NewsEdge Corporation -

Ohio is the fifteenth state in the nation to pass safety needle legislation.

Signed last Thursday by Governor Bob Taft, the Ohio law requires healthcare

facilities to provide their employees with safety needles to protect

themselves from accidental needlesticks.

" Ohio joins California, Tennessee, land, Texas, New Jersey, West

Virginia, Minnesota, Maine, Georgia, Iowa, New Hampshire, Alaska,

Connecticut, and Oklahoma as states which have demonstrated their commitment

to protecting the safety of healthcare workers through the passage of this

very important legislation, " according to S. Metz, Bio-Plexus president

and CEO. " Bio-Plexus is pleased to join healthcare workers in these states

in congratulating the courage and vision displayed by their legislators and

governors in passing these laws, " Metz added.

On the federal front, healthcare workers unions, medical device

manufacturers, and accidental needlestick victims gathered recently for a

congressional hearing on the necessity and benefits of a federal needlestick

prevention law. The legislation, HB 1899 was introduced by Representative

Pete Stark (D-CA) and Marge Roukema (R-NJ) last year. The bill currently has

191 supporters in Congress.

Assistant Secretary of Labor N. Jeffress testified before the

congressional subcommittee on Workforce Protection that OSHA's Bloodborne

Pathogens Standard, introduced in 1991, " among other factors, contributed to

the decline (in new cases of hepatitis B among health care workers) - in

particular the standard's requirement that employers provide and pay for

Hepatitis B vaccines for employees exposed to blood or other potentially

infectious materials. " When asked if OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard

and compliance directive protected all healthcare workers, Jeffress

acknowledged that public employees (workers in publicly-funded federal and

state facilities) were not protected. " Federal OSHA has no jurisdiction over

public employees, " Jeffress stated. He added that he supports the

legislation because it would also offer protection for public employees

across the country.

In a statement for the record at the committee hearing, the American

Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSME) declared, " While

the compliance directive is an important step, congressional action is

needed to further reduce needlestick injuries. One serious limitation on

OSHA is the lack of authority to enforce the use of safer devices in state

and local government health care workplaces in 27 states and the District of

Columbia. This means that public employees in half of the states will remain

unprotected by national standards to reduce the transmission of serious and

deadly diseases. "

" Passage of national legislation is critical to protect the safety of all

healthcare workers across the country. Studies show a small but sharp rise

in new HIV infections in San Francisco. The rise could signal a new wave of

infections - and increased risk for healthcare workers, " Metz

continued.

" Bio-Plexus Punctur-Guard is the only safety technology available that is

made safe during use. This means the clinician should never be exposed to a

sharp, blood-contaminated needle after removal from the patient. As

Punctur-Guard products get into the hands of healthcare workers, the risk of

an accidental needlestick is significantly reduced, and the clinician can

more fully concentrate on patient care. We strongly encourage and support

legislative action which will help ensure that safe products get into the

hands of clinicians, " Metz concluded.

Bio-Plexus, Inc. (NASDAQ:BPLX), designs, develops, manufactures and holds

U.S. and international patents on safety medical needles and other products

under the PUNCTUR-GUARD®, DROP-IT®, and PUNCTUR-GUARD REVOLUTION

brand names. In studies by the Centers for Disease Control (MMWR, January

1997) and ECRI (Health Devices, June 1998 and October 1999) PUNCTUR-GUARD®

needles ranked highest of all devices studied. Accidental needlesticks

number about one million per year in the United States and can result in the

transmission of deadly diseases including HIV and Hepatitis B and C.

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CONTACT: Bio-Plexus, Inc. | Carol Coburn, 860/870-6112 extension 317 |

bio.plexus@...

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July 11, 2000