BEREA, Ohio — It’s that time of year! The Cuyahoga County Fair officially opened the gates at 5 p.m. Monday for a week of fun.
But before it opened to the public, a number of safety precautions are taken to make sure the week is without incident.
Many remember the story of Greyson Yoe, who was electrocuted and killed on a ride at the Lake County Fairgrounds in 2001. Because of him, new rules were put into place going forward to make local fairs across the fair much safer.
“We are under the state guidelines for amusement rides and agricultural exhibits,” said Tim Fowler, Cuyahoga County Fair Board President.
He said the Fair works with authorities at the local and state level to make sure everyone who comes through the gates is safe.
Inspectors from the Ohio Department of Agriculture were seen Monday going over a safety checklist for every ride. Items to check include things like safety harnesses, ride stability and electrical supplies.
Fowler said they follow the same precautions you’d have at an amusement park.
“All the same precautions, and I have to say, it might be a little higher because the shortness of our activity time frame and the amount of activity that takes place in a week,” he said.
The Cuyahoga County Health Department also inspects food vendors work areas to make sure water supplies are safe and that food is cooked to a certain temperature before being served, a process that happens throughout the week.
Fowler said the fair is “under watch every day as we’re open for the next seven days.”
Police, fire and EMS workers are also on hand for general safety concerns.
While Fowler doesn’t believe anything will go wrong, he’s confident they have a plan if it does. “We are confident in what we’ve in place that we can handle anything that might happen.”
The fair runs from August 10 through 16.