Barbecue Safety Tips To Remember

One of the most important parts of your barbecue isn’t the recipes, the ingredients, or even the grill itself – it’s knowing how to keep yourself safe while you cook! There are plenty of things to remember, but once you get used to checking for the basic safety requirements, it will become second nature to go through your precautions checklist in no time and make your dream barbecue feast.

Important Grill Safety Tips

Check for Leaks

Before you turn up the gas, check your barbecue for leaks. Use a commercial leak detector solution, or a home-made solution of 50% water and 50% liquid soap – simply brush the solution onto all your BBQ’s valves and connections. If you see bubbles, then you have a leak.

If your leak is located on a connection, close your barbecue’s service valve and tighten the connection. Test it again – if the bubbles persist, you should contact a qualified technician to fix the issue.

Remember: never use a lighter or match to check for leaks on your barbecue.

Light It Properly

If you’ve checked for leaks, and the coast is clear, it’s time to light up the grill!

Open the barbecue lid, then turn on the gas supply by turning the valve on the propane tank. Then, turn on the burner. Once you’ve turned the burner on, quickly hold the ignition button or switch.

Be Ultra Cautious With That Fire

Fire is not a force to be taken lightly – even when it’s safely contained within your barbecue. Be vigilante when grilling, and keep a fire extinguisher on hand at all times.

Make sure you know how to extinguish a fire, and how to cut your barbecue’s fuel supplies in a hurry. Stay versed in fire safety rules, and always have someone in charge of a fire, whether you’re grilling on a BBQ or sitting around a firepit.

In the unfortunate event of a fire, you should call a claims advisor as soon as possible to get any emergency assistance needed. Then, you can start the claims process right away.

– via DGI Direct

Now that you have the barbecue safety tips under your belt, there’s a different kind of danger to address. One of the fastest ways to ruin a great barbecue is for it to be overrun with bugs. But it doesn’t have to be like that! There are ways to protect yourself, your home, and your guests from the onslaught of insects when you cook outside. Don’t let another cookout get ruined by uninvited guests – remember these tips to keep yourself safe!

Keep Insects Away From Your Cookout

Don’t set the scene to let bugs in.

Insects rely heavily on many of their senses. They are attracted to scents, colors, and other environmental cues such as moisture, heat, light and shade.  

Your red, white, and blue themed party may seem patriotic to you, but a bee will recognize the color of sweet flowers and come in for a closer look.

Don’t ditch the decorations, try this instead:  Rosemary, mint, and lavender all smell great to people, but not to pests. Herbs can be arranged in vases or containers to set around the area and used as centerpieces; they can be tied together in bundles and hung on chairs; they can even do double duty and serve as tablecloth weights when placed in small pails and clipped to the tablecloth!

Other tips to prevent pests at summer parties:

• Avoid standing water – it’s a breeding ground for pests
• Pets can attract pests if their food or water is sitting out, or if they go the bathroom and the mess isn’t quickly cleaned up.
• Inspect the area for hornet and wasp nests ahead of time. Look underneath tables, chairs, and rooflines.
• Keep garbage cans away from where the food will be served and away from where people will be sitting. Make sure all trash bins have lids.
• Try to stick to light, solid colors. Not only are they less attractive to insects, they will help you stay cooler instead of absorbing the sun’s heat the way dark colors do.
• Instead of fruity or floral personal care products, choose unscented varieties, or opt for plant and herbal blends.

Spending time together with family and friends makes summer even sweeter, but remember to leave pests outside where they belong.

– via www.earthkind.com

How do you keep yourself safe and comfortable when you barbecue? Have you found a great secret for keeping insects at bay?