Written by Bill Madl | Jun 15, 2019 5:09:50 PM
It's that time of year that we are spending more time outdoors than the prior months, especially with all that is going on. But before you start to fire up that grill, ensure your safety by following these summer grilling tips!
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- Grill outside, never inside, even in a garage, and keep your grill at least 10 feet away from any structures like your house, garage, sheds, hanging baskets and umbrellas, and especially your siding. Basically, keep away from all wood structures, including overhanging tree branches.
- Clean your grill before and after all cooking. Grease and fat build-up can contribute to fires and major flare ups.
- Keep your grill stable and on a flat surface to avoid tipping over.
- Place a grill or splatter mat underneath your grill if cooking on a deck to avoid grease drippings.
- Make sure the seals on your gas tank are tight and that there are no gas leaks. Smelling propane gas is an indication your connections aren’t working good enough.
- Keep your grill lid open when igniting the grill. Gas build up can occur and that subsequent flame can explode in your face.
- If your grill flame goes out, wait approx. 5 minutes before trying to restart it.
- Have a spray water bottle handy in the event of a flare up. This can quickly douse out a small fire before it ruins your food.
- Have a fire extinguisher nearby in the event of a significant fire in your grill, or if something else may have caught on fire. Baking soda can also help douse a grease fire.
- Although it may sound funny, be sure to dress properly when cooking and don’t wear any clothing that can hang over the grill and catch on fire.
- With hand sanitizer being used more frequently, avoid flames around your hands as sanitizer contains alcohol and is highly flammable! It can burn without a flame being seen so be careful!
- Don’t ever leave your grill unattended, regardless of where the grill is located. A small flare up can turn into a major grill fire. Gas grills cause more home fires than charcoal grills and, on an average, there are almost 9000 home fires annual caused by grills.
- Try not to have too much food on your grill as amounts of fats and oils can drip and flame quickly.
- If you have a charcoal grill, only use a dedicated charcoal starter and not gasoline or any other combustible fluid. Don’t spray starter or lighter fluid onto charcoal that is already burning.
- Do not attempt to move a charcoal grill until the coals are completely cooled down.
- Never put charcoals into a garbage can or bag unless you are 100% certain they are cold. Know that charcoal can stay hot for hours after they are used.
- Always completely shut off the valve when using a gas grill, including turning the tank off too.
- Don’t ever place freshly cooked foods onto a plate that was used for the raw food as bacteria can grow in foods.
These easy-to-follow summer grilling tips will help you and your family to enjoy a safe summer barbecuing season! Click below and subscribe to our E-newsletter to get more informative tips on outdoor activities this summer!