 Outdoor Grilling Guide – Grilling Safety Tips
Nothing brings friends & family together like a good outdoor barbecue. What better way is there to spend a nice summer evening than to be outside with great people eating great food? To get the most out of your grilling experience, for yourself and those with you, it is important to keep a few safety tips in mind. With just a little bit of care, you can ensure that everyone will have a great time. You may also download a printable version of our Outdoor Grilling Guide – Grilling Safety Tips.
Keeping Your Food Safe
- Don’t allow food to get warm before cooking, either in the grocery store, on the ride home, or at home. Buy meats and poultry last, and don’t make additional stops on the way home.
- Keep your food in a cooler or refrigerator until it is ready to go on the grill, and make sure it stays below 40 F. Don’t let it sit out before grilling.
- Keep your drinks & food in separate coolers. People are constantly reaching for drinks, so the cooler temperature can easily rise above 40 F.
- Wrap raw meat & poultry in plastic bags before putting in the cooler, to prevent juices from contaminating other food.
- Keep side items, like potato salad & beans cold until ready to eat.
- Keep your cooler in the shade.
- If your meat is frozen, defrost it in the refrigerator, cooler, or under cold running water. Make sure it is completely defrosted before putting it on the grill
- Use separate dishes & utensils for uncooked foods and cooked foods, to avoid contamination of cooked food. If you must reuse dishes or utensils, be sure to wash them thoroughly before reusing.
- Use separate cutting boards for meats & vegetables/fruits. And clean them thoroughly after each use.
- Keep your hands clean at all times by using soap & hot water. Especially after preparing food, handling raw meat, etc.
- When marinating, keep the food in the refrigerator or cooler.
- Never reuse marinade on raw foods or while cooking. Use fresh marinade for basting.
- Refrigerate leftover food immediately, and use within a couple days or throw it away.
- Trim excess fat to avoid flare-ups or spatter when grilling.
- To ensure that no bacteria remains in the food, keep a meat thermometer handy, and grill poultry to 180 F, and ground meats to 165 F.
- Use trim meats for grilling. Fatty meats can drip, causing a fire, and can also cause excess fumes to be released into the air. If using fatty meats, like sausage or ribs, wrap it in foil, or use a drip-pan to collect the drippings. You can also place aluminum foil under the meat to prevent dripping.
- Serve food as soon as possible after grilling. If not, refrigerate it immediately.
Keeping Your Grill & Grilling Environment Safe
- Read the grill’s safety manual before using your grill for the first time, and always follow the manufacturer's instructions.
- Check the gas container and grill hoses for leaks. Rub soapy water on the hoses, and then turn on the gas. If you see bubbles anywhere, then you have a gas leak. If so, do not use the grill under any circumstances. Replace the faulty container or hose before using the grill.
- Check for kinks in gas hoses.
- Keep hoses as far away as possible from the flame, or any other hot surfaces.
- Check all tubes & hoses for possible obstructions, like bugs, grease, etc.
- Never store or use flammable liquids, like gasoline, near the grill.
- Do not smoke, or use any other flammable substance, near the grill.
- Make sure to have a designated safe zone with a radius of at least 10 feet around the grill. Keep children and other outdoor activities out of this zone.
- Make sure the “No Play Zone” is free of leaves, or anything else that could easily ignite.
- Keep your hands clean by using soap & hot water before & after preparing food, after touching raw meat, after using the restroom, touching pets, playing with the kids, etc.
- Always transport gas containers in an upright position, and in a cool place, such as an air-conditioned car, instead of the trunk.
- Do not store gas containers in a hot place.
- Keep your grill clean.
- Do not use a grill that is more than a few years old, or has been damaged in any way.
- Always keep a fire extinguisher in an easily accessible spot.
- Always keep a first aid kit nearby, complete with bandages, band-aids, and something to treat burns.
- Always have access to fresh water for first aid, and to help put out a fire (but not a grease fire!).
- Keep a phone nearby to call for help in case of an emergency.
- Exercise caution when lighting the grill. Refer to the owner’s manual. If the grill does not light immediately, turn the gas off and wait a few minutes before trying again.
- Never leave a lit grill unattended.
- Do not grill on a covered patio or in a garage, even with the doors open. Gas can still build up, and is impossible to detect.
- Use appropriate utensils when grilling, i.e. tongs, long brushes, and spatulas instead of spoons and forks.
- Never try to move a lit grill, or one that is still hot.
- Do not try to adjust any gas containers or hoses while the grill is lit.
- Never store a grill indoors.
- Do not try to fix any damaged grill parts yourself. Contact a well-qualified repair person.
- Do not wear loose clothing when grilling.
It may seem like a lot to remember, but it’s really not. You’ll be amazed at how quickly following these grilling safety tips will become second nature, and how quickly you become a grill master. It’s definitely worth the little extra effort required. Enjoy the rewards, and keep on grilling!
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