The weather’s perfect and the thought of steak or burgers on the barbecue leaves your mouth watering. You’ve got the perfect cut of meat, rubs, sauces and tools to make a great meal, but have you thought about the barbecue safety tips to keep you safe to enjoy the meal?

The biggest risk of fire with barbecues is placing them too close to buildings or walls with combustible walls. Keep it well away.

At the start of the season, our loss prevention team recommends taking a look at the hose and gas connection to the barbecue. Over the winter hoses can become brittle and crack causing propane or gas to leak. You can use soapy water to check for bubbles. Leaky hoses can be a dangerous situation with open flames involved for lighting. Replace the hose or other parts as necessary.

You should give the grill a good cleaning as well, removing grease buildup.

With the hoses are in great shape and the barbecue is clean, you are ready to grill, keeping these safety tips in mind:

• Follow the manufacturers’ instructions for use.
• Always open the lid before turning the gas on and attempting to light the barbecue.
• Open the shut-off valve on your tank to turn on the gas.
• Turn the burner valves on only to low and then raise it for desired temperature after lighting.
• Don’t lean over the barbecue while lighting it.
• If the barbecue doesn’t light right away, turn off the gas and wait for it to dissipate prior to re-lighting.
• Never leave the barbecue unattended.
• Keep children and flammable items away from the barbecue.
• Use long-handled cooking utensils and heat-resistant mitts to reduce the risk of burns
• Always barbecue in well ventilated areas, not in enclosed spaces.
• Burn off excess grease after cooking to prevent future flare-ups.
• When you are done, shut the gas valve off first, letting the gas remaining in the connecting hoses burn off and then close the burner controls.
• Let the barbecue cool down completely before recovering it.
• If you are using charcoal, make sure it has cooled completely before you get rid of it. Never discard beside a building as they may flare up.

Follow these tips, enjoy your culinary creation and have a great safe barbecue season. Bon appetit!

The above tips were source from the following Government of Canada website: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/home-garden-safety/barbecue-safety.html#a1