Customers Can Now Purchase Consumable Products Online

Mentor, Ohio, (May 31, 2000) - STERIS Corporation (NYSE:STE) today announced the launch of buySTERIS Online, an online store offering a full range of professional-quality skin care products. The web site will enable retail consumers to purchase the same high quality STERIS products that are used in leading health care institutions, through the convenience of online shopping.

Through the site, Customers can view product information, and place orders for several of STERIS?s most popular skin care products. These include Cal-Stat®, the waterless, instant hand sanitizer used to kill germs on hands when washing facilities are not available; the Kindest Kare® line of routine skin care and incontinence products; and CV Medicated Soap, a leading antibacterial handwash used in hospitals throughout the country. buySTERIS Online was created in direct response to the many Customer requests for an easy, direct way to purchase STERIS skin care products for home use. Customers can reach the online store either by going directly to the URL, www.buySTERIS.com, or via links from STERIS?s award-winning homepage, www.STERIS.com. Purchases can be charged to Mastercard, Visa, or American Express.

There?s a growing consumer demand for professional-quality skin care products, driven by trends such as the increasing public awareness of handwashing as a way to help prevent the spread of disease-causing germs,? commented Paul Zamecnik, Corporate Vice President, E-Business and Consumer Markets. ?The creation of the buySTERIS site was driven by requests both from our health care Customers and their patients to be able to obtain the same great products that they use in hospitals or doctors? offices for home use. This online store makes it easy for them to purchase these products in consumer-friendly packaging, and expands STERIS?s presence in the retail marketplace. These products can also be purchased by phone at 888-8STERIS.

STERIS Corporation is a leading provider of infection prevention, contamination prevention, microbial reduction, and therapy support systems, products, services, and technologies to health care, scientific, research, food, and industrial Customers throughout the world. The Company has over 4,500 Associates (employees) worldwide, including more than 1,700 direct sales, service, and field support personnel. Customer Support facilities are located in major global market centers with production operations in the United States, Canada, Germany, Finland, Sweden, and Australia.

This press release contains statements concerning certain trends and other forward-looking information affecting or relating to the Company and its industry that are intended to qualify for the protections afforded "forward-looking statements" under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as 'may,' 'will,' 'expects,' 'anticipates,' 'plans,' 'estimates,' 'projects,' 'targets,' 'forecasts,' or 'seeks' or the negative of such terms or other variations on such terms or comparable terminology. There are many important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Many of these important factors are outside STERIS's control. Changes in market conditions, including competitive factors and changes in government regulations, could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations. No assurance can be provided as to any future financial results. Other potentially negative factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include (a) the possibility that the continuing integration of acquired businesses will take longer than anticipated, (b) the potential for increased pressure on pricing that leads to erosion in profit margins, (c) the possibility that market demand will not develop for new technologies, products, and applications, (d) the potential effects of fluctuations in foreign currencies where the Company does a sizable amount of business, (e) the possibility that the Company's activities related to changes in its sales force will take longer or incur greater expense than anticipated, and (f) the possibility of reduced demand, or reductions in the rate of growth in demand, for the Company's products and services.