Ensuring grill safety starts with a healthy dose of common sense.
With the Fourth of July holiday next week, it represents your next opportunity to fire up the grill in your backyard. Grill safety on this holiday is just as important as an ordinary backyard barbecue that you had on a weekend to have a gathering and celebrate the warmer weather. Just follow these tips to prevent any possible fire hazards.
Make Sure It’s Stable
Ensuring grill safety starts with a healthy dose of common sense. Even if your grill is on a standalone base and is not designed to be set on a tabletop, you should still make sure that it’s as stable as possible. You don’t want it to start moving around as you cook, as it could spray grease, oil, or shards of glowing coals. You also don’t want it to fall over, which could present a huge hazard to everyone around you.
Keep Kids and Pets Away
Speaking of everyone around you, be sure to keep kids and pets away while you cook food on the grill. They will all be interested to see what you are doing and could provide a distraction while you are trying to concentrate. They might also try to play with the grill or cause mischief if you need to step away – but do not walk away when the grill is still lit! Be sure to teach them to be careful if they are out in the yard playing because proper grill safety also calls for you not to leave a lit grill unattended.
Use a Fire Extinguisher
It’s better to have something and not need it than to have the reverse be true. Any time you are planning on using the grill, whether you are cooking hot dogs and hamburgers or steaks and kabobs, make sure to have a fire extinguisher handy. Keep it nearby and check it regularly to ensure it doesn’t need to be recharged or that it will fail to operate in case of a fire spreading from your grill.
Look Out For Leaks
Be on the lookout for possible leaks on the grill itself. If you’re using propane as your fuel, make the tanks aren’t leaking, either.
Inspect Your Fire Starters
Even if you aren’t using propane, you might still be reliant on coal. Use the fluid intended for charcoal and avoiding using gas or kerosene as your fuel, since they are much more volatile and unpredictable – you will start a fire, just not one you can contain safely. Let the charcoal and the embers and ashes it produces cool down for at least two days before you go to dispose of them.
Commercial and Residential Fire Prevention from Judd Fire Protection
If you want to ensure your home and business are safe throughout the year, trust Judd Fire Protection, LLC. We have over two decades of experience in designing, installing, inspecting, and repairing residential and commercial fire protection systems. We serve clients throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and West Virginia. If you are interested in finding out more about our services and protecting your home and business, give us a call at 410-871-3480 or contact us online. For more fire safety tips, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.