“We applaud Governor Whitman for signing into law a bill designed to protect the health and well-being of caregivers in our home state, and we particularly commend New Jersey Assemblyman Alan Augustine for his leadership in bringing this bipartisan bill to the floor,” said Kevin Seifert, VP-GM, BD Advanced Protection Technologies. “Assemblyman Augustine took into consideration the concerns of all parties. The result is a bill that will allow for the introduction of ever-improving new medical technologies, will not single out any one company’s products and, most importantly, will not interfere with the delivery of superior patient care.”

The legislation gives the New Jersey Health Department six months to designate needles with safety devices. Each of New Jersey's 1,300 licensed health care facilities will be able to select needles from a state-approved list, and hospitals, doctors' offices, and labs will be required to provide training. The New Jersey law echoes legislation requiring the use of safety-engineered devices passed in California, Maryland, Tennessee, and Texas. At least another 20 states have similar legislation pending.

State legislative action on needle safety was matched in the closing days of 1999 with significant movement by two federal agencies. First, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued a compliance directive to guide OSHA inspectors in enforcing the standard that covers occupational exposure to blood-borne pathogens and ensuring consistent inspection procedures. In addition, a joint alert was issued by the National Institute of Occupational Safety (NIOSH) and the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide hospitals and employees with guidance on how to establish a comprehensive program to reduce needlestick injuries.

Becton Dickinson is a medical technology company that manufactures and sells a broad range of supplies, devices and systems for use by health care professionals, medical research institutions, industry and the general public. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 1999, Becton Dickinson reported total revenues of $3.4 billion and net income of $276 million.