City electrical display aims to keep kids safe

Children’s awareness of the dangers of electricity will be improved with the expansion of a true to life National Grid educational display in Bristol.

We have upgraded our exhibition space at the city’s Lifeskills Centre to boost the learning experience for its 13,000 visitors each year.

The centre in Hotwells is a registered charity and its volunteers deliver safety messages by leading children through a range of outdoor and at home scenarios provided by different organisations.

Poles and overhead lines, with a kite dangling from them, have been added to a National Grid substation scenario to illustrate the “dangers up above” safety message.

Another new feature children will be able to try is making a scripted call to our 105 emergency number, so they can experience first-hand what it’s like to speak to call handlers when there’s a problem.

Volunteers are also teaching the children how electricity is generated and demonstrate how it travels safely through the grid into homes.

Our education liaison officer Nick South said: “Adding new features will capture imaginations afresh and help children remember potentially life-saving messages. Safety centres are one of our most useful tools for educating young people about electrical safety.”

Sam Jury, partnership and development manager at Lifeskills, said: “The improvements have already proven to be hugely popular with the children, with many saying the National Grid scenario is their favourite.”

We have five permanent safety centres across the South West, South Wales and the Midlands and every year thousands of children visit the model substations and learn about the dangers of entering or vandalising them.