Safety Tips for Grilling and More

The weather is beautiful, the picnics have begun, and you’re out grilling some food for family and friends! However, in many cases grills have caused some catastrophic accidents, resulting in burns and more. In fact, recently a veteran sports reporter by the name of Hannah Storm suffered burn injuries when her home gas grill exploded, burning her hair, face, and clothing. She survived but came out of the incident with scars. She was urged to file a lawsuit against the grill manufacturer because either the design, manufacture, or safety instructions were defective. Many other accidents have taken place where a burn victim was able to recover damages, but today we will discuss these incidents by the numbers and how one can avoid these accidents and injuries in the first place.

Each year, you may be surprised to hear that close to 9,000 home fires are caused by grilling and many injuries result in thermal burns. In 2014 alone, 16,000 patients went to the emergency room because of injuries involving grills. Many of these accidents will happen in July, but the summer months are especially vital and care should always be taken. But what causes most of these accidents? Study results showed that an increasing amount of fires occurred when there was a failure to clean the grill.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Grilling

Of course, there are many steps that you can take to prevent an accident from occurring relating to the grill. Keep yourself safe this summer season and keep some safety tips in mind.

Do’s:

• The further the grill is away from your house, the better the results. You should always plan to keep your grill at least ten feet away from the house. Having your grill too close to other structures like carports, garages and carports could end in disaster. Remember this for both charcoal and gas grills.
• Since failure to clean grills is one of the contributing causes of accidents, you should clean your grill regularly. Allowing grease and fat to build up on your grill can only provide more fuel for a fire.
• Always check for gas leaks.
• Keep a spray bottle of water handy at all times. If there is a flare-up, you will be able to instantly calm it. You should also keep a fire extinguisher nearby.

Don’ts:

• Never turn the gas on while your grill lid is closed. This could cause the gas to build up inside your grill, which could cause a fireball to explode in your face when you open it.
• Do not overload your grill with food, especially fatty meats. If too much fat drips into the flames, you could see a fire.
• Do not use a grill indoors. Grills release carbon monoxide, which could build up and be fatal to you or your guests. They must be kept in a well-vented area when in use.

Stay safe this summer by keeping our summer grilling tips in mind! Grills are for use in fun cooking settings, so do not let your summer fun turn fatal.