Whether you’re looking forward to the first veggie burger, or a honey, lime, and soy sauce chicken fillet is your choice, making sure that your BBQ is in good condition and ready to use safely will help you have a great summer.
BBQ safety
Firstly, time to dust off the winter gloom and make sure that everything is still in good working order.
The really important things are to make sure that all of the grease, fat, and any remaining charcoal that built up last year is removed.
If you have a gas BBQ, check that the gas hose is still in good condition – no cracks or splits , all the connections are nice and tight – and that creepy crawlies haven’t set up home in any of the tubes or burners.
Where to use your barbecue?
Make sure that the barbecue is well away from anything that might catch fire – fences, sheds, garden furniture, for example – and if your home has timber cladding, keep the BBQ at least a couple of metres away from it.
If you’re lucky enough to have a balcony, please don’t use a BBQ on it; it’s just too risky, and could cause a fire.
Keep an eye on the kids too – they might not realise that the BBQ is hot enough to burn them – and you should be careful to keep hot food away from anywhere that a child could tip it on themselves.
If you use a disposable BBQ, please take great care, they can be particularly dangerous.
Never use any type of BBQ (even disposable ones) indoors or in enclosed spaces – the fumes can kill you.
If you use them outdoors, please choose a spot where the heat will not cause damage, and there’s no risk of anything else catching fire.
Storing your barbecue fuel
Finally, please think carefully about where you store your charcoal or gas bottle.If you live in a block of flats, please don’t store gas or charcoal anywhere in the communal areas of your building. We also advise you not to keep them in your home, particularly a gas bottle – the risk is just too great. If you have a shed or well-ventilated external cupboard, that’s a great place to keep them. If not, somewhere outside, secure, and away from prying eyes, with charcoal wrapped in a waterproof bag is usually OK.
Here’s hoping we all have a great summer, and lots of safe barbecues.
