In 2015, over 8800 homes were said to have caught fire while grilling, these numbers have increased in the last 8 years and might continue to increase if grill safety tips and precautions are not taken by grillers. While we all love a tasty barbecue, it is important to note that it can also cause a fire hazard if not well maintained.
You should also note that how to stay safe when grilling is not only about the safety guidelines for grilling, it also entails ensuring your meal is safe and hygienic. If you’re new to grilling, here are some grilling essentials you should have to get started.
In this article, I will be sharing 10 essential grill safety tips you need to know to avoid accidents when grilling and also how to ensure your meal is safe from contamination.
If you would like to learn more about how to keep your food safe and hygienic in the home here is an article for you, and if you would like to know how to keep your food safe and hygienic in a commercial or business environment, read this article.
10 Grill Safety Tips
1- Use the right grilling tools
The right grilling tools will not only keep you safe while grilling, but they would also make grilling seamless and easy for you. You can check out these grilling tools essentials.
Shop
2- Do not fire up the grill if you need to do something else
Always ensure you are ready to grill when you turn it on. Because leaving it unattended can cause major fire accidents. Ensure to always tend to your grill before you do anything else. If you need to get something inside, ensure someone else is watching the grill and they are paying attention in case something happens.
You can also prevent this by getting all your tools, ingredients, and food ready before turning on the grill. That way, you don’t have to go back and forth while your grill is working.
3- Always be on alert
Get a fire extinguisher nearby in case an accident occurs. In the past 10 years, the percentage of grilling accidents has increased to 18%, this is the more reason you should stay conscious when grilling. Take away anything that can easily catch fire around your grill and always be alert especially when grilling around June or July, which is known to have more grilling accidents. And if there is more fire than you can handle, call the fire station immediately.
4- Refrigerate your poultry or seafood before grilling
According to the Centers for Disease, Control, and Prevention, to avoid contamination, poultry and seafood should be refrigerated before they are grilled to prevent the spread of pathogens.
However, when refrigerating, remember to keep it in a well-sealed and packaged container like a plastic with a tight lid or an air-tight ziplock bag so that the pathogens in the meat or fish will not spread to the other content in the refrigerator.
If you won’t be using it for a while, it is safer to keep it in the freezer, then defroze it when needed. Also, don’t forget to wash before storing. And when you’re done grilling, keep leftovers in the refrigerator or freezer.
Shop
5- Always use a food thermometer
A food thermometer serves as a guide to ensuring you grill your meals with the right heat. It is also important in making sure you don’t eat undercooked meals (meats especially) which can be detrimental to your health.
Shop
6- Use hand gloves
To maintain safety while grilling, this grill safety tips is important. Many people might want to appear macho or prove they are grill experts by ignoring their hand gloves or oven mitts.
However, just because you’ve been grilling without it for a while does not mean an accident cannot occur when you least expect it. Prevent a minor accident from becoming major by protecting your hands at all times.
Shop
7- Wipe the grease off your grill immediately after use
Many people forget to do this because they were so excited to eat their barbecue or they decided to do it later. Sometimes they end up packing up the grill without cleaning it up.
The hazard is that the next time you plan to use it, the grease would be harder to remove, it can become a fire hazard, and it will also be unhealthy for your meal.
If you clean immediately with a grill brush and a little water or oil, you can prevent future hazards.
Shop
8- Keep your grill far away from your home
It goes without saying that you should never grill in your kitchen or inside your home. Place your grill in your backyard or somewhere in your compound that is far away from your home.
That way, if any fire hazard occurs, you don’t have to worry that it will spread into your house or destroy your property.
9- Invest in a gas or electric grill
Charcoal grills are more prone to causing fire accidents. Invest more in a gas grill for optimal grill safety, it is easy to turn off and might not catch fire outdoors because of the adequate ventilation or in an electric grill you can use in the house with less fire hazard.
Shop
10- Keep children and pets away from the grill
While some parents might find grilling a teaching moment for their kids. It is important to watch children closely around fired-up or switched-off grills or keep them away from the grill completely. Also, keep pets away from grills because they might touch the wrong things thereby putting you and them at risk.
Conclusion
Staying safe at home or anywhere starts with staying alert and making important safety decisions for you, your meal, and your home. These grill safety tips will not only help reduce fire accidents in the home, it will also keep you from becoming one of the many statistics of a fire hazard. Stay safe!
–
Photo credit: Pexels.com
One thought on “How to Stay Safe When Grilling – 10 Essential Grill Safety Tips”