Beautiful summer days are upon us, which means now is the perfect time to host a cookout for family and friends! Whether you’re grilling some dogs, burgers, sausages, chicken, or anything else for that matter, there are certain precautions that you should take to ensure nothing goes wrong. If you’re gearing up for a barbecue, we’ve got the perfect grilling safety tips to ensure that your day goes perfect.
Grilling Safety: DO’s
- Be sure to grill at least ten feet away from your house. If you can, move even farther away to be safe. This includes extensions to your house as well, such as porches or garages. This will help prevent fires, because we’d hate to see a claim of that gravity on your homeowner’s insurance.
- Be sure to clean your grill regularly. If you allow things like fat or grease to build up on your grill, they could make the flames unexpectedly huge. Grease can be a major source of flare ups, so cleaning your grill regularly will help reduce fire hazards.
- Check for gas leaks regularly. To make sure that no gas is leaking from your grill, you can make a solution of half liquid dish soap and half water, and rub it on the hoses and connections before turning it on (with your grill lid open). If the soapy water forms large bubbles, that’s how you’ll know you have a leak.
- Keep decorations away from your grill. This grilling safety tip is another method of preventing fire hazards. Most decorations are made of very flammable artificial fibers, so it’s best to keep them away from the grill as far as possible.
- Keep a fire extinguisher handy. In case things take a turn for the worse, it’s best you have the needs to diffuse the situation before it turns into something serious.
Grilling Safety: DON’Ts
- Turn on the gas while your grill lid is closed – be sure to never do this. This can cause gas to start building up inside your grill, which is extremely dangerous to light afterword.
- Never leave your grill unattended. If you are in the process of grilling, you shouldn’t step away, because fire can double in size every minute.
- Be sure not to overload your grill with food, especially fatty meats. If too much fat drips on the flames at one time, then it can cause a large flare up and become a fire hazard to nearby objects.
- Never, ever use a grill indoors. This should go without saying, even for small grills. Grills release carbon monoxide which can be harmful to your family and pets. Not to mention, it’s an extreme fire hazard.
Looking for some more Grilling Tips? Check out this info-graphic from our friends at Brobbq.com!
Regardless of the hazards that come along with grilling, if you’re ready to fire yours up and you follow these grilling safety tips, we can ensure you’ll have a great time! We strive to protect our customers and clients in more ways than just providing insurance, but remember, if you have any questions on your policy, you can reach out to us any time.
