Barbecue safely to protect your family

To help you and your family have safe and enjoyable cookouts, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has released these safety tips you should follow when using gas or charcoal grills.

Gas grill safety tips

Liquid petroleum (LP) gas or propane, used in gas grills, is highly flammable. Many grill fires and explosions occur when people first use a grill that has been left idle for a period of time or just after refilling and reattaching the grill's gas container. To reduce the risk of fire or explosion, routinely perform the following safety checks:

• Check the tubes that lead into the burner for any blockage from insects, spiders or food grease. Use a pipe cleaner or wire to clear the blockage and push it through to the main part of the burner.
• Check grill hoses for cracking, brittleness, holes and leaks. Make sure there are no sharp bends in the hose or tubing.
• Move gas hoses as far away as possible from hot surfaces and dripping hot grease. If you can't move the hoses, install a heat shield to protect them.
• Check for gas leaks, following the manufacturer's instructions, if you smell gas or when you reconnect the grill to the LP gas container. If you detect a leak, immediately turn off the gas and don't attempt to light the grill until the leak is fixed.
• Keep lighted cigarettes, matches or open flames away from a leaking grill.
• Never use a grill indoors. Use the grill at least 10 feet away from your house or any building. Do not use the grill in a garage, breezeway, carport, porch or under a surface that can catch fire.
• Always follow manufacturer's instructions when connecting or disconnecting LP gas containers.
• Use caution when storing LP gas containers. Always keep containers upright. Never store a spare gas container under or near the grill or indoors. Never store or use flammable liquids, like gasoline, near the grill.
• To avoid accidents while transporting LP gas containers, transport the container in a secure, upright position. Never keep a filled container in a hot car or car trunk. Heat will cause the gas pressure to increase, which may open the relief valve and allow gas to escape.

Charcoal grill safety tips

Charcoal produces carbon monoxide (CO) when it is burned. CO is a colorless, odorless gas that can accumulate to toxic levels in closed environments. Each year several people die and many more are injured as a result of CO fumes from charcoal grills.

To protect your family from CO poisonings, follow these safety tips:

• Never burn charcoal inside of homes, vehicles, tents or campers. Charcoal never should be used indoors, even if ventilation is provided.
• Since charcoal produces CO fumes until the charcoal is completely extinguished, do not store the grill indoors with freshly used coals.

In addition, never use gasoline in place of lighter fluid. Gas is much more combustible than lighter fluid.