RALEIGH – The countdown to the opening of the 2017 North Carolina State fair is on.

Gates will open Thursday, but first, inspectors checked rides to ensure safety for patrons.

In 2013, the Vortex accident, which remains on the minds of many, injured five fairgoers after it malfunctioned.

Four years later, efforts to keep people safe have amped up.

According to the State Department of Agriculture spokesperson Brian Long, the next two days are about tightening every bolt before fairgoers board the rides.

"North Carolina has some of the most stringent ride safety requirements in the nation," said Long. "So they're going to go over every one of these rides nut and bolt."

The NC Department of Labor plans to speak on other precautions being made.