Memorial Day weekend is the start of the barbecuing season for many people. For those who barbecue, they’ll also be spending more time in the sun. It’s essential to make sure you put plenty of sunscreen and proper clothing on to protect your skin. The vast majority of people simply don’t know how to correctly put on sunscreen, so it’s worth learning how. It’s also important to make sure that you reapply it often during the day. Doing so can save you thousands of dollars by keeping your skin wrinkle-free longer as you grow older by not having the need to purchase expensive wrinkle creams. It can also help prevent costly medical expenses that would come with the development of skin cancer.
Another major risk that comes with barbecuing is food poisoning. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that some 48 million Americans will contract food poisoning this year. To help prevent food poisoning, it’s important to not to leave food sitting out for extended periods of time in the sun before cooking it. For meat that you put on the grill, make sure that it gets thoroughly cooked. It’s advisable to use a meat thermometer to ensure that heat is getting caught throughout, not just burning the outside, which can be a common occurrence with barbecues. It’s also important to wash all vegetables before you put them on the grill. By taking some simple precautions, you can reduce the risk of getting food poisoning when barbecuing.
The space around barbecue grill can be a dangerous place for kids. It’s important to keep children away from hot grills where they could have an accident that could result in the child getting burned. Experts recommend a 3-foot kid-free zone around barbecues to lessen the danger.
It’s also important to make sure that the barbecue grill is clean to begin the summer season. Many people put away their grills for winter without properly cleaning them. Fat and grease that accumulates over the grilling season can catch fire and send up flames unexpectedly which can injure a person. Cobwebs can have the same effect. Clean the barbecue grill to prevent these issues.
(Photo courtesy of slgckgc)
As someone who has had their child burned due to a barbecue, can I also stress the importance of keeping kids away from the grill even after the cooking is completed. My child accidently go into the hot charcoal afterwards and sustained sever burns in his hands.
Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen!!! Lather it on often throughout the day. And wear hats!!!
Very professional looking barbeque.