Barbecue - Safety

If you have children and pets you should never leave a lighted barbecue unsupervised.

To avoid grease fires, clean your grease pan or dripping pan frequently.

Keep a spray bottle filled with water handy while you're cooking because if you're cooking with the grill lid open, or you have an open barbecue, flames can leap up and get out of control as meat oils and grease drip down into the ignited coals. A squirt of water at the base of the flame will knock it down. If the flames become too high and the water isn't working, close the lid if your barbecue has one or pour ordinary kitchen baking soda onto the flames to douse them.

If you have a gas grill, check your hoses and connections for gas leaks. There is a very easy way to do this. First turn off the gas supply from your propane tank or permanent gas line. Spray the connection points on your hose and connectors with a washing up liquid and water mixture in a spray bottle. Bubbling at a fitting or on the hose surface indicates a gas leak. Tighten the connections or replace the hose as necessary, then repeat the process to make certain the leak has been stopped.

If your grill bottom has vent holes, be certain that it also has a tray or can to catch hot embers that might fall through onto a wooden deck or other flammable surface.

Smother burning embers before disposing of them. Coals can smoulder for hours and their centres can be red hot long after they appear not to be burning. The best way to do this is to cover them with ordinary garden sand.

Never start a barbecue using petrol or diesel, both of which are flammable, toxic and explosive and not intended for use in cooking situations.

Barbecue safety photograph by Rileyroxx, used under a creative commons attribution licence.

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