10 Grilling Safety Tips

When the warm weather arrives, many people look forward to preparing delicious meals on their grills, especially at summer parties and other types of get-togethers. However, did you know that grills are responsible for thousands of structural and outdoor fires every year? To keep your family members and guests safe while grilling, review these 10 grilling safety and food handling tips before your next barbecue:

1. Position your grill at least three feet away from your house and other objects, including vehicles, trees, and outdoor furniture
2. Never allow children or pets near the grill until it has completely cooled.
3. Before using a gas grill, be sure to check the connection between the propane tank and the fuel line to ensure that it’s working properly and isn’t leaking.
4. Never use starter fluid for gas grills. Only use this for grills that use charcoal.
5. Suspect that your gas grill is leaking? Turn off the gas and do not light it again until you’ve had your grill examined and if necessary, repaired. Never use a match to check for leaks
6. Never transport your grill into an enclosed or unventilated space, like your garage. This is both a fire and a carbon monoxide hazard.
7. To help reduce carcinogens, cook leaner meats on your grill that drip less meat, such as turkey burgers and loin cut of beef. Remove visible fat from your poultry, as fat dripping into your grill’s coals and flames causes smoke to rise up to the meat, depositing carcinogens on it.
8. Another way to reduce carcinogens, by about 87 percent, is to marinate your meat. This is because herbs contain polyphenolic antioxidants that prevent carcinogens from forming on the surface of your meat.
9. Always use a nonstick cooking spray on the grill rack to prevent meat from building up.
10. Be sure to scrub your grill with a wire brush after every use, which will prevent small pieces of leftover food from dropping into the grate and producing carcinogen-filled smoke. 

Keeping these food handling and grill safety tips in mind will help you prevent illnesses and injuries from ruining your fun summer barbecues. At Hunkins & Eaton Insurance Agency, our agents work to ensure that you, your family, and your hard-earned assets remain safe. For additional safety tips and valuable resources, please read our other blog posts, and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.