Let The Season Of Grilling Begin, tips on grilling safely

2023-05-25
By: Advocate Brokerage

 

Many people enjoy spending their summer entertaining friends and family in their outdoor living spaces by the grill. Unfortunately, the annual backyard barbeque doesn’t always go as planned. Approximately 64% of Americans own at least one outdoor barbeque grill or smoker, and grill fires cause an average of 37 million dollars in damage each year!

Your friends at Advocate Brokerage want you to enjoy a HAPPY and SAFE summer so we thought we would review some important information on backyard grill safety!

 

Approximately 10,600 home fires are started by grills each year

 

Grill safe habits from the personal insurance specialists at Advocate:

 

• Position your grill a safe distance from your home and any outdoor building such as a detached garage or shed. The recommended distance is at least 10 feet.* 
• Keep your grill station safely away from any low-hanging landscaping, wooden fencing, and any other flammable items such as decorative flags or other types of décor. 
• Make sure your grill is placed on a level surface.
• Do a quick inspection of the grill’s hoses checking for any cracks or holes. If you see anything questionable, it is a good idea to go ahead and have them replaced.
• Make sure that your clothing won’t get in the way during grilling. Sleeves that hang, apron strings or long hair can easily catch fire with an open flame. It is also recommended that you wear shoes while grilling.
• Keep children and pets away from the grill. The recommended distance is at least 3 feet.* Encourage them to play in another section of the yard.
• Never leave a grill that is in use unattended. If you need to walk away, ask for another adult to keep an eye on it for you!
• Never move a lit grill.
• NEVER move the grill to an indoor area, even in the event of rain. (This includes an open garage or covered balcony.)
• Always grill with a working fire extinguisher on hand. It is also a smart idea to keep a spray bottle on hand so that if a small fire flares up you can quickly get it under control.

• Clean your grill after each use. Grease that is collected on grill plates and inside the grease tray can act as fuel, making a fire more likely during your next Barbeque.

• If using a charcoal grill, make sure you place the coals in a metal can with a lid (stored a safe distance from your home) after they have cooled.

• Wait until the grill has fully cooled down before covering, moving, or storing it.

*As recommended by NFPA

 

Making sure your world is protected is of the utmost importance to the entire team at Advocate Brokerage.  We are happy to answer any questions about keeping your home safe and protecting you from a potential claim. Feel free to get in touch with us at 914-723-7100.