Safety Tips To Know Before Firing Up Your Grill

Grilling is a quintessential part of summer. Whether you're at the campground or in the comfort of your own backyard, there is nothing quite like firing up the grill on a summer afternoon. Yet, for all the experienced grillers out there, an equal number of folks have never connected a propane tank or waited for charcoal to heat up. These are the grilling newbies, and if you are one of them, there are a few things you need to know.

All cooking brings a certain amount of danger because, while doing so, you are dealing with several elements, primarily heat and sharp utensils. An errant slip could easily cause a burn or a cut. This is especially true with grilling.

The major difference between grilling and indoor cooking is the fact that, with a grill, you are dealing with far higher temperatures, and far more volatile elements. A good grill can easily exceed the heat of a standard kitchen oven, and, depending on your fuel source, grill flames aren't as easy to control. So, whether you're a newbie or a seasoned pro who needs a refresher, these 13 safety tips should be adhered to before you even consider firing up the grill.

The fact that grilling is done outdoors is perhaps its main attraction. People love the fact that they can enjoy nature while making a flavorful meal. Plus, there's the added benefit of not making a mess of, or overheating, their kitchen. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that any and all grilling activities should be done outdoors.

Keeping your grilling outside is actually the most important thing to take into consideration in terms of grilling safety. Not only is a grill, propane or otherwise, a major indoor fire hazard, but the potential for carbon monoxide is much higher. Odorless and invisible, carbon monoxide is an enormously dangerous byproduct of the grilling process. With charcoal grills, carbon monoxide comes as a result of incomplete combustion. 

When you're cooking with a standard stove, you have control and ventilation. The same is not true with a grill. If you grill inside, you don't have nearly the appropriate ventilation required to filter out any carbon monoxide. The gas can become trapped, and potentially kill you if too much builds up. Outside, in the fresh air, you have plenty of air circulation, so carbon monoxide becomes a non-issue.

We've established that you don't want to be grilling indoors, but you also don't want to be grilling too far away from the house either. If you have built yourself an outdoor kitchen, or are planning on establishing a special "grill zone" on your back patio, you need to make sure that it is far enough away from your house to not be a fire hazard, but not so far that grilling becomes an inconvenience.

According to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, there should be a minimum of 10 feet of distance between your grill and your home. This provides a sizable radius intended to minimize fire hazards, while also being close enough to the house to keep grilling from becoming a nuisance.

You also want to make sure you're setting your grill away from any other outdoors structures, like garden sheds or detached garages, as well as piles of dried leaves. Another thing you want to make sure you're away from are any flammable liquids. Think things like gasoline canisters for your lawn mower, kerosene for lamps, and etc. You never know if an errant spark from the charcoal could cause an issue much larger than you anticipated.

It can sometimes be difficult to find level ground on your property. However, you want to do your best to set your grill on a level surface in order to prevent it from tipping over. This is more of a concern with charcoal grills as opposed to gas ones. Charcoal is a loose heat source, so having it tip over will spill hot coals and ash all over the place, which could very easily start a fire. 

This is not to say that propane grills are any less dangerous if they tip over. Depending on the severity of the fall, the connecting gas line could become severed, causing propane to leak out, another major hazard. You could also end up with a damaged tank, which is no good either. Plus, the damage to your grill from a fall could end up being more costly than you'd like.

Another reason to grill on a level surface is the food itself. Why go through the effort of painstakingly preparing an excellent grilled lunch, only to have it all ruined because it slid off the grates or your grill tipped over? 

Depending on the type of fuel you have, a grill can get really hot really quickly. Propane reaches their maximum high temperature at 600 degrees Fahrenheit, while charcoal grills can easily double that, reaching temperatures at 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. So, you can see which is going to be safer in terms of heat, but neither should ever be left unattended.

A grill is not an oven. You cannot just walk away from it for hours while something cooks. Grills use high temperatures and live flame in order to cook food quickly. This is different from smoking meat, which you still should not leave unattended. You need to pay attention to the food you're grilling. Otherwise, things could end up as a mess.

Obviously, one of the consequences of leaving a grill unattended will be burnt food. It doesn't take much for a perfectly grilled burger to become a hockey puck. Then there is the matter of a fire, which could flare up unexpectedly. This is bad news, as fire could ruin your grill, your food, and, if it's bad enough, the surrounding area.

If you use propane for your grilling fuel, you need to check the connecting gas line for leaks or damage. Propane leaks are a serious concern. Not only can leaking gas in a poorly ventilated area cause a build up of carbon monoxide, but as propane is flammable, a leak can also cause a serious fire hazard if it isn't handled properly.

It pays to regularly check the connecting gas line for signs of wear and tear. Remember, your grill lives outside and is exposed to the elements. Even with a protective grill cover, you are still going to have to contend with the weather. Check the line for obvious cracks and areas of brittleness before every use.

If you don't see these obvious signs, you could still have a line leak. One way to tell if there is a leak is to use an old trick developed by plumbers. Take some soapy water and rub it down the length of the line and over the connection. If any bubbles start to form, that is where your leak is. You can easily fix this by purchasing a new gas line and getting it installed at your local hardware store, or by doing it yourself.

Just as you do in your indoor kitchen, having a fire extinguisher close by when grilling is good to have in case of an emergency. They operate by spraying a flame retardant over the fire, effectively cutting off its air supply, and smothering until it is out. You want to make sure that your fire extinguisher is rated ABC, as this means it can handle all types of fires, including grease and electrical fires.

Operating the fire extinguisher is simple. There is a pin at the top near the nozzle where the flame retardant is emitted. Pull the pin and then use the trigger to spray the flame retardant all over the fire. With luck, the fire should go out without any real issue.

Fire extinguishers are easy to find at any local hardware store, or even the supermarket. Keep it within an arm's length of your grill for ease of access. The faster you get that fire put out, the better things will be for you. Grease fires can also be put out by smothering them with a pot lid or baking soda.

When you're grilling, you are dealing with an incredibly hot cooking environment. If you are not careful, you could very easily end up with burns, some of which can be serious enough to send you to the hospital. So, while they may seem slightly ridiculous, keeping yourself burn-free is one of the reasons to grill with long handled tools.

The most basic grilling tools you are going to need will be a spatula for flipping things like burgers, and tongs for handling vegetables, kebabs, hot dogs, and steaks. The longer handles ensure that the fingers of the tongs and blade of the spatula are the things coming into contact with the hot surface. It keeps your hands well away from the flames, further protecting them from the potentially damaging heat.

Make sure that you are purchasing heavy duty equipment. Wooden tongs or spatulas could work, but they cannot put up with the wear and tear of the grill for long. Plastic or other composites are right out, because they will melt at a moment's notice. The best material for the job is stainless steel. They can handle the heat, and will last for many moons if you take care of them properly.

If you choose to grill, remember that you are handling food that is being cooked by volatile heat or live flames. When the food hits the grill, the heat starts cooking the insides, naturally bringing all of the fats and juices to the surface. This does not occur with vegetables, but will happen with meats that have a naturally high fat content, such as hamburgers, steak, lamb, and pork. 

When the juices and fat leave the meat, they can come into contact with the flames of the grill — this is the chemical reaction which causes a flare-up. Enough flare-ups can very easily cause your food to char, which will definitely leave an off-putting flavor. This is why it's smart to have a small spray bottle filled with water to help control flare-ups.

While water should never be used to put out an actual grease fire, spraying the odd flare-up is only going to help control the flames of your grill. This is easier to do with a propane grill, as the water won't affect the heat source. If a flare-up happens, gently spray it until it subsides. Repeat as often as flare-ups occur.

There are a few different ways you can get your charcoal lit and hot for grilling. Each method is as user-friendly as the next, but some definitely require more patience than others. Take the chimney starter for example. It allows you to ignite charcoal in an efficient way without the need for lighter fluid. Still, if you want an even more speedy way of getting your coals lit, there is nothing faster than lighter fluid.

Here's the thing, though, once you've soaked the charcoal and gotten things lit, you should never in a million years add more lighter fluid to the hot coals. While our inner pyromaniacs might be tempted to see the coals light up in huge flames, this is a massive mistake. Here's why.

Putting lighter fluid on hot coals is a fantastic way to cause an explosion. The additional ignition fuel being added to the hot coals will cause an excess of energy, causing the flames to increase and explode all over your grilling area. Then you hurt not only yourself, but also damage your property and potentially several others around you.

Here's the thing about lighter fluid. It is designed for use as a grill igniter. That is literally its sole purpose. You would not use it as fuel for your lawn mower or for a kerosene lantern. By the same token, you should absolutely never use gasoline or kerosene to light charcoal. These products are both more powerful than lighter fluid, and not nearly as easy to control.

Yes, gasoline and kerosene will ignite charcoal without issue. However, these extremely flammable liquids are incredibly difficult to control when they are not in a contained environment like a lantern or engine. When you use them to light a charcoal grill, you run a real risk of starting an out-of-control fire.

Then there are the vapors. The fumes put off by burning gasoline and kerosene are incredibly strong. As such, they can very easily make their way into your food. Not only will this lend an absolutely awful taste to your food, but it could also make it toxic to eat. Nibbling on food cooked via gasoline or kerosene fueled charcoal is a great way to put yourself in physical danger, as well as make yourself incredibly sick.

Yes, cleaning the grill is a chore. The grates are sticky and the built-up grease and grime are very difficult to scrape loose. Yet, this only occurs when you have neglected to clean your grill. If you leave your grill uncleaned after several uses, the amount of grit will build up and eventually cause damage to your grill grates. Worse, however, is what it could potentially do to you and the grill itself.

Because the lack of cleaning causes so much grease and grime to build up, there is an increased chance that your grill will become engulfed in a grease fire. The built-up grease on the grates will loosen and fall towards the flames when things heat up. If enough loosens at one time, the whole grill could go up in flames.

So, it pays to take some extra time to clean your grill after each use. While the grates are still hot, take a wire bush, or aluminum foil, and remove any of the built up grease that has stuck to the grates. And, before you grill next time, get the grill screaming hot and clean the grates again before you put any food on. This will ensure longevity and decrease the risk of damaging grease fires.

While the sight of you grilling in a full tuxedo or ball gown might be hilarious and fun, the fact of the matter is that there are certain clothes that you should be wearing while you grill. You don't need a specific uniform, but you do need to follow some basic rules in order to keep you as safe as possible while handling the grill.

The general rule is that you want to keep your clothes as far away from the heat source as possible. Wearing things that are loose-fitting or dangling over the flames increases the chances that your clothes could get singed or even catch on fire. It might also be beneficial to remove any metal jewelry while you grill, as they could very easily heat up and burn your skin.

The best clothing you can wear are ones that fit tightly to your skin and will not dangle over the flames. This allows things to stay close to you, but not too close to the fire. The last thing you need is for your shirt to catch while you're flipping burgers.

There is nothing wrong with cracking open a cold one and enjoying a few sips while you're grilling up dinner. However, there is such a thing as too much. If you've had one too many and your inhibitions are a little, shall we say, impaired, you should stay away from the grill.

When you don't have all of your faculties in order, you are more likely to make the silly mistakes you would have avoided while you were sober. This includes things like using too much lighter fluid, getting too close to the grill, and leaving the food unattended for too long. Overall, to keep yourself and those around you safe, don't grill if you're drunk.

These are all standard measures that you should take if you want to have a stress-free and controlled grilling experience. There is a little amount to wiggle room with some of these rules, but overall, you need to follow these in order to ensure that you are grilling safely.