Summer Safety Tips, from Grilling to Swimming

Written By: Michelle Brubaker

With summer right around the corner, many San Diegans will be firing up the BBQ and dipping into swimming pools to beat the heat. UC San Diego Health System’s Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burns Division offers summer safety and injury prevention tips as the temperatures rise.

Propane Barbeque Grilling

Propane grills are used for outdoor cooking and barbequing. Many of these units have automatic electric ignition units. Some of the ignition units break, leaving the homeowner to have to light the grill with a match or extended lighter. Flash fires occur when there is a buildup of propane gas and the grill is lit by an unsuspecting person. This flame is very intense, lasting only a few seconds and can result in a burn to the face, upper chest and arms. If the propane has been on for a period of time, it may even saturate the lower portion of the grill where the tank is stored. The force of the propane build-up can blow open the doors on the front of the grill allowing the fire to burn the legs. There are a few principles that should be followed so that you do not have a propane flash fire that occurs when there is a buildup of propane in the barbeque.

Make sure you are working in a well-ventilated outdoor area
Have the barbeque cover open when lighting the grill to prevent a buildup of propane gas - use the built in electric ignition if possible
If you must use a flame, try to use the portable lighters designed for this that have a six to eight inch extension on them so you do not put your hand in the grill to light it
Only turn on the propane when you are ready to light the grill, and if it does not light quickly, turn off the propane and allow the unit to vent and then restart a few minutes later
Keep the top of the grill open so the propane vents away from the grill
Never let the propane continue to run without the unit being lit. This will create a very serious condition that may result in the propane flash fire.
Follow all the safety information that comes with your propane grill

Charcoal Barbeque Grilling

Similar prevention methods should be used when lighting charcoal briquettes. Some companies manufacture briquettes that are pretreated so that when you put a match to them, they will light and the coals will begin to burn. Other charcoal briquettes require lighter fluid to be sprayed on the coals. When you do this, place only enough lighter fluid to start the briquettes on fire. Do not super saturate the coals with the lighter fluid as it may result in a larger “fire ball” when it ignites.
When lighting the soaked briquettes, use a lighter with an extension and light from the bottom of the grill if possible, as the flames will move upward when it lights up and you don’t want your hand near this fire.
Resist the temptation to spray lighter fluid on the burning coals, especially if there is an active flame. This will only light up the fire more in an uncontrollable fashion.
Never use gasoline to start any grill fires or any other fires for that matter. It is extremely flammable and is difficult to control.
For more information, please visit: http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=298&itemID=18346&URL=Research%20&%20Reports/Fact%20sheets/Seasonal%20safety/Grilling&cookie%5Ftest=1 and
http://www.nfpa.org/assets/files//PDF/Public%20Education/Grilling_Safety_tips.pdf

Fire pits

Fire pits are now seen at campgrounds, beaches and in private residences. They may be made from metal, concrete or simply be placed upon the ground with a fire ring. Whatever the type of unit, they represent a potential fire hazard and must be approached with caution. Burn injuries occur in both adults and children. Small children are often injured after the fire has died down and the child unknowingly walks over smoldering coals. These coals may remain hot for more than 18 hours, even if they were buried with sand or dirt. Free-standing fire pits at private residences are typically made out of metal or surrounding brickwork which can become very hot, resulting in burns to the hands or legs.

For more information, please visit: http://www.safetyathome.com/seasonal-safety/summer-safety-articles/fire-pits-and-outdoor-fire-safety/

Hot coals

Many burn injuries are caused by hot coals or fires that have “burned out” in a campfire. The hot coals have a gray appearance and may not look hot, but they often are very hot. Placing dirt or sand on top of the coals or fire will not stop the burning of the coals for many hours. These coals have been shown to still be very hot more than 18 hours after they were buried, thus, they remain a fire hazard. Many campers have walked over buried coals causing a serious burn injury. This is especially true if the fire was not contained to a designated campfire ring. Feet burns occur in adults while both feet and hand burns occur in children. Please place all coals in designated receptacles if you are required to move the coals out of the campfire ring. When barbecuing, also place your hot coals only in approved receptacles.

For more information, please visit http://www.firesafekid.org/ and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20061854

Swimming pools

Swimming pools are a source of exercise and entertainment, but this comes with the responsibility for safety. Childhood safety is an important issue to consider with backyard pools. Each year, 2,000 children are treated for submersion injuries, and 300 children under the age of five drown in swimming pools, usually in their own backyards. In most cases, both parents were home at the time of the event - 69 percent of children were not expected to be around the pool area at the time of the near drowning. Seventy percent of the adults supervising the children report the child had been out of their sight for five minutes or less.

Know your community’s regulations for pool fences and gates. Most laws require a fence that is four feet tall or higher.
The gate should have a self-latching mechanism
Do not prop open the pool gate
Consider putting in home door alarms that ring when the door is opened, especially a pool gate alarm
Use power safety covers for pools
Never leave a child unattended near pool
Don’t use flotation toys as life preservers
Do not assume your child is drown-proof, even if they can swim
Pools, hot tubs, bath tubs, toilettes and buckets with water can also result in a submersion injury in a young child
For more information, please visit: Consumer Products Safety Commission http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/chdrown.html

Related Specialties

Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burns