10 Grilling Season Safety Tips For Your Home

Warm weather is on the horizon here in North Carolina –  time to get out and get cooking on your propane grill!

Just be sure to do it safely. Each year, thousands of preventable grilling accidents happen across the country, causing injuries to people and damage to property.

Follow these 10 grill safety guidelines during your cookouts to avoid those incidents in your backyard.

Reminders For Propane Grill Safety

1. Stand by your grill – Unattended grills are the source of more than 46 percent of cooking fire-related injuries, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Once you light your grill, stay nearby.
2. Keep your grill clean – Grease flare-ups can cause severe burns, so thoroughly clean your propane grill after every use.
3. Keep your grill away from your house and furniture – Keep your grill on a level surface at least five to six feet from anything flammable – especially your home.
4. Check for leaks – Before you light your grill, check it for leaks – especially if you have just changed your propane cylinder.
5. Be fire-ready – Keep a fire extinguisher near your grill and make sure everyone knows where it is. Baking soda will also work in an emergency. NEVER try to put out a grease fire with water.
6. Keep outdoor appliances where they belong – Using an outdoor propane appliance indoors is not only a fire hazard, it can also cause a deadly build-up of carbon monoxide inside your home.
7. Keep the lid open when lighting your grill – A closed lid can cause an explosive build-up of propane gas.
8. Shut down completely when you’re finished cooking – Turn off both the burner control and the cylinder valve when you’re done.
9. Correctly store your propane cylinders – Keep extra propane cylinder tanks outdoors in their vertical position.
10. Follow safe transportation practices – When transporting your tank for a propane cylinder exchange or refill, put it in a secure, well-ventilated location in your vehicle. Place it upright with the valve off, and take it directly to the refilling location. NEVER leave the tank unaccompanied in the vehicle.

Always practice propane safety – in or out of your Sampson, Bladen and Duplin County-area home. Contact Williamson Gas today to learn more about propane safety, or to refill or exchange your propane barbecue cylinder for the summer!