With around 80 to 100 million barbecues lit in Germany between April and October, between 3,000 to 4,000 barbecue accidents happen year after year, 400 to 500 of them ending in serious burns.
The barbecue
A safety-tested barbecue can be recognized by the DIN 66077 number attached to the appliance. With this, DIN CERTCO, Gesellschaft für Konformitätsbewertung mbH, Berlin, certifies, among other things, that the appliance is tip-proof and free of sharp edges. In addition, the handle of the grill spit does not get too hot on these devices.
The coal
Good charcoal carries the test and monitoring mark DIN 51749, which ensures when you buy that this product is high quality. Whether the decision is made for charcoal pads, briquettes or blocks, is up to each barbecue enthusiast.
The barbecue lighter
In specialized trade there are solid and liquid ignition aids, whose quality can be easily recognized by the corresponding safety mark (test and monitoring mark DIN 66358) and a registration number. These well igniting igniters do not fizzle or explode and leave no traces of taste.
Gasoline and spirit? No thanks!
Combustible liquids such as methylated spirits or gasoline are taboo when lighting! When these fuels evaporate, a highly explosive, flammable vapor-air mixture is created in the form of a bell with a diameter of up to three meters. When the barbecue charcoal is lit, a deflagration then occurs, which in turn is the cause of severe burns. If refueling is done into the embers or fire, the fuel canister can be knocked out of hand by the flashback. The inferno of flames can be devastating!
Gel type barbecue lighter not harmless
Even gel-type alcohol-based barbecue lighters are not always harmless: at midsummer temperatures, charcoal heats up to 80 degrees Celsius, and the barbecue paste liquefies on the hot charcoal – thus also creating an explosive mixture that can ignite and cause the most serious burn injuries.
Safety for children
Especially children, who, magically attracted by embers and fire, stand close to the grill, can suffer the most serious burns to the face. Not only do they have to endure lengthy and painful hospital treatment, but they often suffer from dry, cold-sensitive skin with itching and tightness and disfiguring scars for the rest of their lives.
Grill must stand firm
Safe grilling already includes setting up the grill. It should stand firmly, that is, on all three or four legs, on a non-flammable surface, preferably on a flat piece of grass, on flagstones or paving stones. It is almost needless to say that barbecuing is and should remain a purely outdoor pleasure. Even in bad weather, a barbecue does not belong under a parasol. The house and apartment are also not suitable places for hearty barbecues.
“Hot and greasy!”
Grease splatters are painful. From burns caused by splashing fat – and even small burns are painful and annoying – protect barbecue aprons, gloves and a good barbecue cutlery, which are available, usually decorated with cheerful motifs, in a very large selection in specialized stores.
On red-hot coals… ?
Once the fire is safely lit, it is not over yet with the dangers. If a piece of charcoal blows away, it should be kept as well as possible in the eye, so that it does not come to a fire. If you think you have a better wind in another part of the garden, you should definitely not carry the hot grill. Only with a cold grill you can safely change the location. Residual embers should be extinguished with sand and not emptied into the trash can. Never let the charcoal burn out on the lawn or on the field, because again and again children suffer serious burns because they have reached into the embers or stepped into the still glowing charcoal remains that were poured onto the lawn to cool down. For this reason, children should also always be kept away from barbecue fires, preferably with a barrier.
Tips for shopping
- Safety tested grills carry the DIN mark 66077.
- Safe barbecue charcoal can be recognized by the DIN mark 51749
- DIN 66358: the number for tested and found safe lighting aids for barbecue charcoal and barbecue charcoal briquettes.
If you have children…
- Do not leave them unattended near the grill.
- Never let glowing charcoal glow out on the lawn or on flower beds. Children will reach or step into it!
