MELLOW REINTRODUCES SWIMMING POOL SAFETY BILL SCRANTON, September 7, 2007 – Calling it a common sense precaution that can prevent drowning deaths, State Senator Robert J. Mellow (D-Lackawanna/Luzerne/Monroe) today reintroduced his proposal to require safety locks on all swimming pools. The legislation is being called “Nicholas' Law" in honor of Nicholas Orazi, a 5-year-old Dunmore boy who tragically drowned in a neighbor's unsecured pool in July of 2005. “Pools should be locked when they are not in use,” Mellow said. “It’s a simple and inexpensive precaution that can mean the difference between life and death.” Mellow’s proposal would amend the state’s Uniform Construction Code (UCC) to require the State Department of Labor and Industry to establish the new stringent safety regulation. Currently, the UCC requires that barriers around residential swimming pools be equipped to accommodate locks, yet does not actually require that pools have a child-safety lock or latch to prevent small children from entering. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, approximately 350 children under the age of five drown each year in swimming pools. An additional 2,600 children are treated each year for submersion incidents, many of which can lead to brain damage. Mellow said pool locks are relatively inexpensive. “No one should suffer the loss of their child drowning in a pool,” Mellow said. “And no one should have to bear the guilt of knowing that a child died because they did not properly secure their pool.” Mellow introduced a similar measure (Senate Bill 1046) last session. The bill was reported from the Senate Committee on Labor and Industry, but never reached the Senate floor for a vote.