Follow These Grilling Safety Tips to Prevent Accidents
Who doesn’t love to grill out after spending a day in the sun? Swimming, boating, and grilling are all fun summer activities, but it’s important to take safety measures while enjoying them. Use these grilling safety tips for your next cookout.
- Always grill outside. Never bring an outdoor grill indoors. The only exception is a grill that’s designed specifically for indoor use.
- Keep the grill away from structures. Your grill should be at least ten feet away from the house while in use. If it’s on a deck, make sure to move it several feet from the rails.
- Be sure your grill is on a stable surface. Don’t grill on a hill or an uneven surface; always keep it on a flat surface while it’s in use.
- Clean your grill between uses. There are various ways to clean a grill, from burning off the food remnants to scrubbing with soap and water. Remove any food residue after each use and scrub down the racks. Also, if you use a wire brush, inspect it carefully for wires that might have gotten stuck to the grill.
- Avoid wearing loose clothing. During the summer, loose, comfortable clothing helps us stay cool. However, watch out for baggy fabric or apron strings that could catch a flame from the grill.
- If using a gas grill, check for leaks. It’s important for safety that the gas line on your grill is in good condition. Run soapy water on the hose and turn the gas on. If an area of the hose bubbles, you have a leak.
- Wait to re-light if the flame goes out. In the event that your grill goes out, turn off the gas and wait at least five minutes before attempting to re-light.
- Take care with charcoal starter fluid. Charcoal starter fluid is helpful in lighting a charcoal grill. However, if the fire goes out, don’t add more starter fluid or anything else that is flammable–use a charcoal chimney starter instead.
- Be prepared with a fire extinguisher nearby. If it’s a small grease fire, you can extinguish it with baking soda. You can use a fire extinguisher for other types of grill fires. Never use water to extinguish a grease fire.
- Don’t leave a grill unattended. Anything could happen in the minute you’re away, so be sure someone is keeping an eye on it–and never let children or pets play around the grill.
- For grilling safety, keep the lid open when lighting a gas grill. If the lid is closed, the gas can build up and cause a huge flame when the grill is opened.
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