Americans enjoy more than three billion barbecues each year. But barbecuing can be dangerous, even deadly, if you’re not careful. Make sure you understand the right way to barbecue and be prepared in case something goes wrong.
- When barbecuing on either a gas or charcoal grill, protect yourself by wearing a heavy apron and an oven mitt that fits high up over your forearm.
- Never use a grill indoors.
- Keep your barbecue grill on a level, noncombustible surface at least 10 feet away from the house, garage, landscaping and most of all, children.
- With gas grills: make sure the gas cylinder is always stored outside and away from your home. Make sure the valves are turned off when you are not using them. Check regularly for leaks in the connections using a soap and water mix that will show bubbles where gas escapes. When transporting a gas container, keep it in a secure, upright position, and never leave a filled container in a hot car or car trunk.
- With charcoal grills: only use starter fluids designed for those grills. Never use gasoline and use a limited amount of starter fluid. If the fire is too slow, rekindle with dry kindling and add more charcoal if necessary, and never add more liquid fuel or you could end up with a flash fire. Since charcoal produces carbon monoxide fumes until the charcoal is completely extinguished, never store the grill indoors with freshly used coals. Be sure to soak the coals with water before you put them in the trash.
- Keep a fire extinguisher nearby while grilling. In an emergency, it can stop a fire before it spreads.
- Always remember that grills remain hot long after you are through barbecuing.
In case you get burned while grilling
Each year, thousands of Americans go to emergency rooms because of injuries involving grills, and roughly half of those injured have thermal burns. If you suffer a burn while grilling, run cool water over the injury for 10-15 minutes. Never put butter or salve on burns because they will seal in the heat and cause further blistering. If you receive a serious burn, the sooner you get medical treatment, the better.
Have a safe and happy summer.
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