Summertime is here once again, and among the countless fun activities to hold during this time is a barbecue. What can be better in the summer than a cool pool, a nice drink, and something hot off the grill? But, like all other special events or occasions, you have to ensure the safety of everybody who will participate. You have to be especially careful about holding events such as a barbecue during the summertime because things may go wrong, and will go wrong if you don’t practice ensuring safety. To experience barbecue fun while exercising safety, we sat down and wrote a few things that could help you on your next cookout!
Safe Barbecue Fun
Here are a few tips on how to ensure safety when you are having a barbecue, along with some facts and the history of barbecue that you can share and make you look like a genius in front of your friends or family.
Safety During Barbecue
According to iii.org, according to the U.S. Fire Administration, an approximate amount of 5,700 grill fires occur on residential property every year, most of which are due to malfunctioning gas grills. These grill fires can cause an annual average of 37 million dollars in damage, 10 deaths, and 100 injuries. Adding to that amount of destruction, thousands of people go to emergency rooms every year due to burning themselves while barbecuing.
In case a grill fire spreads to your house, you will be able to receive compensation if you have homeowner’s insurance since one of the perils that it covers is a fire.
Some damages that a standard homeowners insurance covers:
- Damage to the house itself
- Also, damage to personal possessions
- Damage to insured structures on your property
- Injuries to a guest, under the liability portion of the policy
Even if you do have insurance, it is still better to prevent the danger from happening in the first place.
Safety while hosting is important.
These BBQ Grill Safety Tips might interest you.
Safety Tips When Grilling
Gas grills are typically safe to use if they are designed, constructed, and maintained properly, and are regularly checked for leaks.
- Search the Consumer Product Safety Commission website. This is to make sure that there has not been a recall regarding the model of your grill.
- Check your grill hoses. We also suggest checking it for any signs of cracks, holes, and brittleness that could cause a disaster.
- Check for blockages. Especially in the Venturi tube which runs to the burners. There are plenty of causes for blockage, food drippings, spiders, or insects, just to name a few. You should be able to clear any blockages with a wire or with some pipe cleaner.
- Check for leaks. You can achieve this by running a solution of one part liquid soap and one part water along with the hoses and on connections. Then open the valve at your tank and check to make sure that gas isn’t escaping. The leaking points will be visible once bubbles also appear.
- Adjust the hoses away from hot areas or where grease may be able to drip on them.
- Cover your grill. You should cover the grill when it is not in use. This is to prevent any effects of weather, falling leaves, and insect activity.
- Store propane tanks outside. Preferably somewhere far from your house. You must always make sure that you firmly turn off the valves, lest cause something horrible happen.
We make it easy to compare homeowners insurance quotes so you can find the perfect fit for your home.
Safe Barbecue Habits
- When having a barbeque, take into account different variables at the same time to avoid a huge disaster from happening.
- Operate your barbecue grill on a level surface to have a safe barbecue experience. Fire extinguisher nearby. Ensure everyone understands where and how to use it. This might save lives, prevent injuries, and protect property.
- Never move a lit grill.
- Grilling is dangerous for kids and pets.
- Safeguard yourself or the griller. Wear a sturdy apron and long oven mitts. Use long-handled grilling implements.
- Charcoal grilling requires grill-specific lighter fluid. Avoid gasoline and combustible substances. After starting a fire, don’t add lighter fluid.
- Grill outside, not inside. Unventilated charcoal barbecues may emit fatal carbon monoxide (CO).
- Before storing or covering the grill, let it cool. Grills are still hot after usage.
- Before discarding charcoal briquettes, soak them in water to cool them down.
Make sure you’re insured
Even if you did take all precautions to prepare for accidents, there are still instances in which they will occur. A good answer to these would be to make sure to have homeowners insurance. Check with your agent if you’re part of the coverage in case someone else obtains injuries on your property. Here are some other steps to prevent the worst-case scenario.
- In case of a fire breaking out, use a fire extinguisher to keep the destruction to a minimum. If the fire does spread and it couldn’t be controlled with the fire extinguisher, it is best to call 911 and report the situation.
- Address any injuries immediately. Run some cool water over minor burns to ease the pain, but do not cover injured areas with bandages, or salve. In the case of more serious burns, take the victim to an emergency room or any nearby hospital. In any major accident, do not hesitate to call 911.
- Assess your property damage. Once you deal with all the injuries and when the smoke has cleared, you should assess how much destruction has occurred on your property.
Tips Summary
To summarize our BBQ fun safety tips, always be careful when hosting or attending a barbecue. Make sure that all equipment is safe. And do not hesitate to call 911 when things go awry.
Barbecues make summer even more fun.
You may have a lot of summer plans this year. And BBQs are a great way to enjoy the warmer weather outside. They’re a terrific way to gather friends, family, or neighbors.
If you’re hosting a party, use our BBQ supplies. You may find everything from charcoal barbecues to fire-starting gear (which is important when doing anything involving flames). We have the traditional red-and-white checkered tablecloths for putting up tables outside. This will keep everyone cool while yet seeming festive, and other things to make outdoor eating simple and pleasurable.
Here are some tips for throwing a great barbecue.
You might think throwing a barbecue is as simple as firing up the grill, but it’s much more nuanced. The best barbecues have a plan in place before they even start. Whoever you’re planning to host, these are the tips you need to make sure your summer party goes smoothly:
Have a plan.
Know what food you want to serve and how much time it’ll take before guests arrive so that when they show up, everything will be ready. Make extra of certain dishes, so there are leftovers for another night!
Have a theme.
If it’s hot, you may throw an ice cream party with everyone bringing their favorite handmade frozen dessert. Or everyone could bring taco fixings. Everyone should bring something different, so no one overeats (or undereats) due to boredom or hunger pains after supper.
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Prep your grill ahead of time.
- Clean your grill.
- Season it.
- Make sure it’s the right size for what you’re cooking.
- Make sure it’s in good working order.
Keep it simple on the grill for more barbecue fun.
Simple grilling helps. Don’t overdo it, and ignore the presentation. Guests come to eat, not admire food.
Simplify.
A basic salt and pepper rub will do; no expensive sauces or marinades. You may add fresh herbs like oregano or thyme. Just keep it simple—don’t overwhelm your visitors with too many tastes at once (and trust me when I say this: no one wants underseasoned meat). Also make sure to use disposable barbecue gloves to handle food prep.
No garnish is needed.
Serve everything family-style in bowls so everyone may grab their own plates. Don’t make the food seem pretty if you’re serving hot dogs or burgers from homemade buns instead of standard plates or paper baskets. You’ll lose some as everyone will grab them out of their hands before anyone else gets a chance.
Get creative with side dishes and desserts.
No matter how far you are from the summer, there is always time to get your barbecue on. But before you fire up that grill, here are some tips to ensure you have a fun and successful day.
Make sure there is enough food for everyone.
You don’t want to run out of food halfway through grilling because it’s not safe for people to eat spoiled meat or undercooked chicken (or, worse yet – undercooked burgers). Also, ensure your guests have enough chips and dip or other sides to go with their meal!
Plan out your menu ahead of time.
If you know exactly what foods everyone likes, then this will help ensure everyone gets what they want at the party. Plus, it saves money because no one buys something extra they didn’t need just because they couldn’t find anything similar in flavor and texture.
Don’t forget about drinks for that real barbecue fun realness.
Be sure there’s plenty of iced tea available so guests can stay hydrated while having fun outside cooking together! You should also have watermelon slices around. This fruit contains potassium citrate—which helps prevent muscle cramps caused by drinking too much alcohol without proper electrolyte replacement beforehand (i..e dehydration).
Stay safe and hydrated this Summer.
Know how you can still enjoy the Summer as the designated driver.
Read more here: Summer Fun For A Designated Driver
Set up an area where people can talk and mingle.
Set up a space for conversation. Place tables and chairs in a shady section of your yard or patio if you have room. Place a table with beverages and snacks on one side for discussion breaks. On the opposite end of the yard or patio, build a cool hangout spot. Toss bean bags or play enormous tic-tac-toe. A barbeque party requires interesting activities for bored visitors (or waiting their turn at the grill).
Remember to keep things cool!
The first thing you need to do is to keep the drinks cold. You have many options here, but the most important thing is to have plenty of ice on hand. This is especially true if you’re serving beer or wine, which can be served at room temperature.
There are lots of ways to keep your beer and wine cool:
- Use an insulated cooler with ice packs that you can store in your freezer ahead of time
- Fill up an actual cooler with crushed ice from your grocery store’s meat department (yep) and then add bottles and cans in between them, so they don’t touch each other — that way, they won’t warm up too much when they’re placed on top!
You’ll be the host/hostess with the mostest/most-ess!
Of course, the host or hostess is the most important part of any good party. You’ll be the star of your own barbecue event, and your guests will go home talking about how you entertained them all night long.
Not only humans enjoy fun in the sun.
Here’s how we can keep our furry family members safe this summer.
Read here: Keeping Pets Safe from the Summer Heat
Real Barbecue Fun
We hope you learned a lot about having a safe barbecue fun experience. We know that there are many other places you can get your insurance coverage from. Being the best independent insurance agency in Denver, Colorado we pride ourselves on maintaining long-term relationships with many of our clients. Many of whom have been with us for over 10 years. We hope that you too would give us a try. Let our team be your insurance advantage.
Call or text us today at (720) 221-8168.