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After what seemed to be a long and wet winter, the fine weather has finally arrived. With this comes the late afternoon entertaining and, in particular, summer barbecues.
Before sparking it up, there are a few safety issues to address. Check the rubber ‘O’ rings and seals are sound and intact. Over time they can perish, break or simply drop out. The gas burners can rust, fracture and break, or with movement can bounce out of their correct position. If gas is leaking out of the wrong places, then it can ignite and becomes a danger to everyone in the vicinity.
Clean out the drip tray. Fat gathers and congeals in the tray and becomes a fire hazard. I found that out the hard way several years ago, on a windy Guy Fawkes night. When playing chef and cooking the steak and snarlers, the drip tray caught alight resulting in flames leaping half a metre above the grill. Turning off the gas made no difference, the flames continued to burn unabated. To further complicate matters, the barbecue had been pushed hard up against the outside wall of the house, in an internal corner to protect from the wind. Flames lapped the cedar cladding and had to be put out with a fire extinguisher. The snarlers were badly charred and inedible. Worse still, the barbecue was knackered, the knobs were melted and the powder coating of the barbecue body was badly charred and blistered. Needless to say, I lost significant credibility as chief cook and master of the grill.
When using the barbecue make sure to position it away from walls and flammable items. Not only is it safer, but your window cleaner will thank you for it. Keep kids safely at bay and turn handles inward so they cannot be knocked, grabbed or pulled down by youngsters. A mate recently disclosed a story of when he had been cooking on his barbie last summer. A moment of inattention resulted in the tail of his loose fitting shirt catching fire. The shirt was soon extinguished, but not without a few moments of concern. The potential for bodily damage was considerable. The message to push home is, be observant and aware at all times, have a safe working barbecue and finally, it’s always good to have a fire extinguisher handy in case of the unexpected. Bon appetit.
