Summer is the season for barbecues. But safety comes first! If you are planning on grilling in the days and weeks to come, keep these tips in mind.
- Keep children and pets far away from a hot grill, and never leave them unsupervised in the area of an ignited barbecue.
- Never use wood, charcoal briquettes, barbecue starter fluid or gasoline in conjunction with your propane or natural gas barbecue. Doing so is likely to result in a highly flammable and volatile situation that may cause extensive damage to your property, personal injury or loss of life.
- Barbecue in an open outdoor space for ventilation and safety reasons. Keep the barbecue at least 3 metres from windows and doors.
- Keep the barbecue away from wooden fences, wooden walls, combustible overhead roofs, and trees with low branches.
- Don't allow an accumulation of grease to occur. Keep your grill and burners clean. This will help to minimize the chances that you will have a serious grease fire.
- Never fight a grease fire with water. This will only cause the flames to flare up.
- Keep loose clothing away from a hot barbecue. Roll up your sleeves or cook in a short sleeved shirt. If your clothing catches on fire, quickly Stop, Drop and Roll.
- Use long handled tongs and brushes while grilling. These put an extra bit of distance between you and the flames.
- Wear oven mitts and a heavy apron to protect yourself from fire while grilling.
If you do burn yourself, run the affected area under cool water for five minutes. If your burn is serious (including charring or blistering) seek medical attention right away.
A quality home insurance policy can help protect you financially should any grill related accidents occur. Call Heritage Insurance Ltd at (800) 667-7640 for a free home insurance quote today!
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