Your BBQ Fire Safety Guide

Your BBQ Fire Safety Guide

When the warmer weather arrives, the first thing most of us get excited for is a BBQ. The longer days, lighter evenings and summer holidays means it’s the perfect time to get the BBQ sizzling! You can have a BBQ almost anywhere these days now, maybe you prefer to have one at home with the family or maybe a disposable BBQ on the beach with friends. No matter where you enjoy it most, behind the sausages and burgers, there are plenty of Fire Safety aspects to consider. If you want to prevent the event of a Fire, it is important to take extra care when cooking with a BBQ, especially when lighting it. Before you stock up on burgers and sausages, you need to be aware of the BBQ Fire Safety Tips. Here is everything you need to know with our Top BBQ Fire Safety Guide!    

What you need to know

Is your BBQ in Good working order?

Never use a faulty BBQ, make sure you check it is in good working order before firing it up. If it is a Gas BBQ, you need to make sure it is correctly serviced and all joins are tightened, safe and secure. If you smell gas near the BBQ or the flame won’t light, this is the sign of a Propane leak. Regardless of the type of BBQ, it must be cleaned and in great condition to ensure your BBQ goes smoothly and remains enjoyable.

Where should I set up my BBQ?

Even though BBQs are designed for outdoor use, you cannot place them just anywhere. When you’re finding the best suitable area for your BBQ, you need to pay attention to overhanging tree branches and bushes. To make sure your BBQ is stable, it needs to be on a flat surface away from any fences, trees, sheds or shrubs. This prevents exposed flames from damaging the grass as well as ensure the safest environment.

Lighting your BBQ

As a safety precaution, experts advise using enough charcoal to cover the base of your BBQ with a depth of no more than 2 inches. When it comes to lighting a charcoal BBQ, you must never use petrol or paraffin to light it, instead use firelighters and a very small amount of starter fuel.

Disposable BBQs

Disposable BBQs are the perfect idea for a family day out in the sunshine! It is important you take extra care when deciding where to set it up. Find an area that is well ventilated and on ground level where it can’t tip over. Don’t place your disposable BBQ directly onto grass or benches where it can easily catch fire. Make sure it has properly cooled down before you put it in the bin. It can take up to several hours to cool, but it’s safer to pour water over it to ensure it’s not smouldering. If you’re camping, never leave your BBQ inside or near your tent. The carbon monoxide that they produce can kill.   BBQ Fire safety

How do I Properly Extinguish my BBQ?

Once you’ve finished using your BBQ, you need to be ready to put out the fire. It is useful to have a bucket of water or sand on hand at all times to prepare for an emergency. The safest and most effective way Fire extinguisher is a dry powder extinguisher. This can be used on gas, oils and flammable liquids and are able to smother the fire and stopping it from spreading.

Passive Fire Protection | Cooke & Bern

Cooke & Bern are a specialist Passive Fire Protection company in Colchester. Our highly qualified team have experience assisting all types of construction sectors. We are dedicated to building long-term partnerships with our clients by delivering a friendly and flexible service. If you’re interested in working with us, please Call us 01206 860001 or Email us [email protected] for more information about our Passive Fire Protection.