Visitors to the 2018 Bloomsburg Fair will once again be able to get valuable, potentially life-saving electrical safety lessons from the PPL Electric Utilities Live Line Electrical Safety Exhibit.

PPL will be doing electrical safety demonstrations throughout the week of the 163rd Bloomsburg Fair, which runs from Sept. 21 to Sept. 29 at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds in Columbia County. The PPL exhibit gives a rare, first-hand look at the sparks, flames and crackle created by electrical contact and lessons on staying safe around overhead and underground power lines.

The exhibit, which is returning for a second year, will be set up at the corner of 11th street near the Sky Ride.

“Our trained workers did demonstrations for more than 5,000 people at last year’s fair and we hope to deliver our safety message to even more at this year’s event,” said Mark Santayana, who coordinates public safety outreach for PPL Electric Utilities.

Daily demonstrations will be conducted to educate the public about important steps they can take to stay safe around overhead and underground power lines.

The exhibit replicates the conditions of a 7,200-volt electrical distribution grid. The demonstrations are done by trained PPL workers wearing protective equipment. They show the sounds, sparks and impacts that occur when items such as Mylar balloons, gloves, ladders and shovels make contact with overhead and underground power lines.

The workers also show what happens when tree branches and animals contact wires. And they provide a reminder about the importance of dialing 811 before digging in order to avoid contact with underground power lines and other utilities.

Safety exhibit demonstrations have drawn a total of nearly 6,000 people so far in 2018. Last year, PPL staff did demonstrations for more than 8,000 people.

The safety exhibit was designed and built by PPL employees and has been used for electrical safety demonstrations since 2016. It’s part of PPL’s commitment to keeping people safe and spreading its public safety message. The company also takes its safety message to schools with theatrical performances about electrical safety. It plans to deliver that message to 100,000 students over five years.

For additional safety information and tips, visit www.pplelectric.com/safety. For information on the Fair, visit www.bloomsburgfair.com.