Charcoal Grill Safety: The Essentials

Carbon monoxide: the serious one

Charcoal produces carbon monoxide, which is odourless and can kill. Never bring a charcoal grill, or a chimney of lit coals, into a garage, a tent, a shed, a porch or any enclosed or poorly ventilated space, however cold or wet it is outside. Cook outdoors and let it cool outdoors too. This is the one rule that is not negotiable.

Ash disposal

Charcoal ash can hold live embers for more than a day. Every summer, ash tipped into a plastic bin or a paper bag starts a fire. Put ash in a metal container with a lid, keep it away from anything flammable, and leave it at least forty eight hours before it goes anywhere near a bin.

Flare-ups and fat fires

• Move food away from a flare-up rather than dousing the fire with water.
• Keep a two-zone fire so you always have a safe zone to retreat to.
• Trim excessive fat and use a drip pan for fatty cooks.
• Never use water on a grease fire; smother it with the lid and vents shut.

The small stuff

• Never use lighter fluid on coals that are already lit.
• Light the chimney on a non-flammable surface, never on decking or grass.
• Use heat-resistant gloves and long tools; keep them dry, since fabric gloves conduct through wet.
• Use a bristle-free grate cleaner; swallowed wire bristles cause real injuries.