Keep Your Family Safe in Pool, Around Grill
May 26 -- As families start firing up the grill, and opening swimming pools to celebrate the unofficial kickoff of summer, they should also be aware of the season's dangers.
More than 75 percent of households own a grill — but that doesn't mean everyone knows how to use them properly. Each year, grills cause 6,000 accidental fires or explosions, and hospitals see 20,000 emergency room visits related to grilling. Barbecuing also leads to $29 million in property damage annually.
Good Morning America's Home Improvement Editor Ron Hazelton has tips on how to keep your family safe around the grill and in the pool this summer.
Tips For Charcoal Grills
Only use charcoal lighter fluid, never gasoline. Using gasoline can cause an explosion or a huge flareback.
Do not re-apply the lighter fluid once you've lit the fire, even if it doesn't seem to be lighting fast enough.
Never use a charcoal grill indoors, or in a tent or an RV, because they produce a lot of dangerous carbon monoxide gas.
Always use long insulated mitts when cooking with a grill, because you can get a momentary flare-up w/charcoal very easily. Cooking mitts that are sold as barbecue mitts are fire-retardant. Also, use long-handled barbecue tongs and utensils for safe handling of coals and food. Coals can reach up to 1,000 degrees F.
Keep children well away from charcoal grills. Children are attracted by the sound, smell, sight of food, so they can walk up and try to pull themselves up on the side. The grill can subsequently tip and spill hot coals on them.
Tips for Gas Grills
Memorial Day may be the first time you are using the gas grill. If it's been sitting in the garage all winter, do an inspection first. Insects, especially spiders, like to live in the tubes of a gas grill and are attracted to the smell of it. Examine tubes to make sure they're not blocked by bugs, or grease.
Complete a visual inspection of gas lines. Just check visually because they can crack or break.
