What could be better than barbecuing with friends in the garden on a sunny summer day? The children are playing in the garden, the dog is romping on the lawn and the friends have not only brought plenty of barbecue food, but also plenty of hunger. To ensure that the barbecue afternoon turns into a party and not into an emergency call to the fire brigade, it is important to follow a few essential safety tips for barbecues. After all, safety at the barbecue is essential for a relaxed and successful evening. Below you can read 7 safety tips for barbecues that should be followed in any case!
1. barbecue outdoors only
A charcoal barbecue should never be used indoors! Carbon monoxide, a toxic gas, is produced when the charcoal burns and burns up. This is odourless, tasteless and colourless, can therefore remain undetected for a long time and must never be underestimated, because it is deadly! For your safety, barbecue outdoors only!
2. always have the barbecue in view
In general, use common sense! Always be safe and keep an eye on the barbecue, the fire and the charcoal. This is important because the embers and the goodies from the barbecue should remain under observation and no flame can form. With the Buqon DINE table with integrated grill in the middle, this is of course no problem at all. Because when socialising around the table, both the heat cooker and the grilled food are always in view.
3. pay attention to clothing when barbecuing
A flowing summer dress, wide sleeves over the embers, and it has already happened. If you're lucky, the fabric will only have a hole in it, if it's bad, it will have caught fire. Therefore, pay attention to your clothing when barbecuing for more safety. We would like to give you two tips: no flowing skirts or shirts and no wide sleeves. If you do get burnt, regardless of whether your clothes are loose or not, here are some tips on first aid. First aid tips.
4. heat the barbecue safely (and quickly)
Do not use liquid lighting aids such as petrol, spirit or similar. These pose an enormous fire hazard. These types of fire accelerants can form gases under certain circumstances, emit flash flames or even walls of fire and thus cause uncontrollable damage.
A fireplace is better suited to heat the charcoal quickly. This usually takes about 20-30 minutes, depending on the wind situation. Please always make sure that the surface is fireproof. As soon as the briquettes get a white surface, they are hot enough and ready. For use in the barbecue, it is important to mention that the charcoal briquettes should definitely be distributed evenly in the fire pan to allow adequate heat over the entire barbecue grill. If you absolutely want to use barbecue lighters, we advise you to use those with the DIN 66358 test mark.
5. a clean barbecue is a safe barbecue
Keep your barbecue clean! Grease that flows over the coals and into the grill tray during grilling can also be dangerous. Regular and thorough cleaning of your barbecue (not just the grill grate) is therefore essential!
Buqon tip: The Buqon DINE garden table with integrated grill has a catch basin that completely prevents fat from running off to the charcoal.
6. allow the charcoal to cool down safely
It is important to let the charcoal cool down completely after grilling. Let the barbecue and the charcoal rest for this. The removal of oxygen accelerates the process. If your barbecue has an air supply closure, this is one possibility; in addition, you can cover the coals with a little sand. The barbecue (insert) should never be taken into the house or flat "to warm up" after barbecuing. On the one hand, this poses a fire hazard, and on the other hand, carbon monoxide is still produced. The completely cooled charcoal is suitable as fertiliser for plants, and you can even save whole briquettes for the next barbecue.
7. barbecue fire: how to extinguish it properly?
It can happen to the best of them: A fire starts from the barbecue. But what is the best way to extinguish such a fire? Fat fires cannot be extinguished with water, the fire must be smothered. Ideally, you should have a fireproof blanket at hand. As with burning out the coals, the same applies to the fire: deprive it of oxygen. In addition, always keep calm. The fire will go out on its own if there is no oxygen. For extinguishing with a fire extinguisher, the use of a fire extinguisher of fire class "F" is recommended.
Barbecue safety: In summary
In a nutshell, the following measures will ensure a great barbecue: Only barbecue outside and keep an eye on the charcoal. Avoid billowing clothing and loose sleeves. Use a fireplace for lighting, let the charcoal cool down well and clean your barbecue and grill regularly. Nothing will stand in the way of your barbecue!
