Summer grilling safety tips from the Consumer Product Safety Commission will help prevent accidents and burns during this season. Gas and charcoal grills can present many risks, including burns, fire, and carbon monoxide poisoning. From 2016 through 2018, there were about 12 deaths per year involving these products. And last year, there were about 6,300 gas and charcoal grill-related injuries treated in emergency rooms.
Before you light up the grill, check to see if your grill has been recalled. If it has, do not use it until it’s been repaired or replaced. Then, check the grill to make sure there aren’t any cracks or leaks. Hoses should be checked for brittleness, holes, cracks, and leaks.
Never use grills indoors. In fact, don’t even use your grill in your garage or a covered porch, carport, breezeway, or under any surface that could burn and catch fire. This is not only to prevent fires, but also to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Never leave a hot grill unattended. Fires happen in an instant. And always keep children and pets away from the grilling area.
Before you add the food, clean the grill with a ball of aluminum foil or nylon brushes. Don’t use wire grill brushes, since the strands can catch on the grate and may end up in the food, causing injury.
Finally, always cook food to a safe final internal temperature using a reliable food thermometer. Never put cooked food on a plate or platter that held uncooked food. And clean your spatula every time you manipulate or turn uncooked meats on the grill.
Now that you know these summer grilling safety tips, you can have a great summer with family and friends.
