Grill Safety Tips

We are about to fire up the grill and start our BBQ so I thought it was important to mention a few BBQ grill safety tips. Summer is a great time because the kids are out of school and the weather is great to be outside but, were you aware of scary statistic concerning kids in the summer months? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 12,000 kids up to age 19 who died as a result of unintentional injuries did so in June, July and August. Yikes! According to the National Fire Protection Association barbecue grill fires result in about 8,000 home fires annually. So, it is important that we take some precautions to keep our families safe over the summer.

• Keep children away from the grilling area.
• Always have a fire extinguisher close by.
• Never use a grill indoors. Use the grill at least 10 feet away from your house or any building. Also never burn charcoal inside of homes, vehicles, tents or campers. Charcoal produces carbon monoxide (CO) when it is burned.
• Check grill hoses for cracking, holes and leaks. Also make sure the hose is not bent in anyway.
• Keep propane gas containers upright.
• When going to fill up your propane tank never keep a filled container in a hot car or car trunk.
• Try to use long barbecue utensils like tongs and spatulas with long handles to avoid burns.
• Make sure you refer to the owners manual when lighting the grill. This was a great guide for propane grills
• When cooking fatty foods like chicken with the skin on we always keep water close in case the grease flames get out of control. If you must douse the flames with water make sure to remove the food from the grill first.
• Once the grill is lit never try to move it o leave a grill unattended.
• Avoid wearing loose clothing, especially sleeves that can catch fire – flame retardant clothing is always your best bet.

Don’t forget to check out our favorite BBQ Ribs recipe as well as How to find the best BBQ Grill.