BBQ's can be deadly

Many of you may want to start up the BBQ and get grilling on your apartment balcony or patio but it is important to note that if a building owner restricts the use of barbecues on balconies, a Tenant must abide by those restrictions for the safety of all residents in their apartment community.

That being said, if a BBQ IS allowed according to your lease agreement, there are some important safety tips you should follow:

• Always keep a working fire extinguisher immediately accessible.
• Keep children and pets far away from a hot grill, and never leave them unsupervised in the area of an ignited barbecue.
• Never use wood, charcoal briquettes, barbecue starter fluid or gasoline in conjunction with your propane or natural gas barbecue. Doing so is likely to result in a highly flammable and volatile situation that may cause extensive damage to your property, personal injury or loss of life.
• Barbecue in an open outdoor space due to ventilation and safety reasons. Keep the barbecue at least 3 metres away from windows and doors.
• Keep the barbecue away from wooden fences, wooden walls, combustible overhead roofs, and from trees with low branches.
• Don't allow an accumulation of grease to occur by keeping your grill and burners clean - this will help to minimize the chances that you will have a serious grease fire.
• Never fight a grease fire with water - this will only cause the flames to flare up. Keep loose clothing away from a hot barbecue - roll up your sleeves or cook in a short sleeved shirt. If your clothing catches on fire, quickly Stop, Drop and Roll.
• Use long handled tongs and brushes while grilling that put an extra bit of distance between you and the flames.
• Wear oven mitts and a heavy apron to protect yourself from fire while grilling.
• If you do burn yourself, run the affected area under cool water for five minutes. If your burn is serious (charring, blistering) seek medical attention right away.