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7 Common Grilling Injuries And How To Avoid Them

Posted: 05/25/2012 8:29 am

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Food , Memorial Day BBQ , Barbecue , Burns , Grilling , Grilling Safety , Injuries , Knives , Memorial Day Barbecue , Photo Galleries , Food News

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Fire? Check. Knives? Check. Copious amounts of alcohol? Check. What could possibly go wrong when grilling outdoors, you ask. Well, now that you mention it -- a hell of a lot. "I once treated someone who stomped out a campfire in flip-flops and fried off the soles of his feet," says Dr. Kristina E. Orio, attending physician in the Emergency Department at the South Shore Hospital in Weymouth, Mass.

From flash burns to finger lacerations, here's everything you need to know for when your BBQ gets out of control.

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"Flash burns to the face are very common when grilling," says Orio. "Typically, there is a fair amount of alcohol imbibed by the griller in the setting."

Dr. Michael Freedman, MD, a plastic surgeon in upstate New York, says that lighter fluids are
another common culprit. "What usually happens is you have someone who is using briquettes and they are taking too long to heat up, so the individual keeps spraying them with an accelerant like gasoline or kerosene," he says. "Then when they light the fire, it flares up toward the person's face. Every summer, we have someone come in who is bright red, with first- to second-degree burns on his face, no eyebrows, no eyelashes and the hair in their nose is all gone. You'll have to take antibiotic ointment for that because it's going to hurt for several days."

Photo by Flickr user emilydickinsonridesabmx.

Related: Playing With Fire: Gas vs. Charcoal BBQ »

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"Flash burns to the face are very common when grilling," says Orio. "Typically, there is a fair amount of alcohol imbibed by the griller in the setting." Dr. Michael Freedman, MD, a plastic surgeon in upstate New York, says that lighter fluids are another common culprit. "What usually happens is you have someone who is using briquettes and they are taking too long to heat up, so the individual keeps spraying them with an accelerant like gasoline or kerosene," he says. "Then when they light the fire, it flares up toward the person's face. Every summer, we have someone come in who is bright red, with first- to second-degree burns on his face, no eyebrows, no eyelashes and the hair in their nose is all gone. You'll have to take antibiotic ointment for that because it's going to hurt for several days." Photo by Flickr user emilydickinsonridesabmx. Related: Playing With Fire: Gas vs. Charcoal BBQ »

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Cold in Michigan

656 Fans

02:26 AM on 05/29/2012

Our moto is....Don't drink and grill. The cook has to wait until the last burger is flipped. Trust me, it helps.

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thebarbecuemast

bbqmaster,physician,hiker

807 Fans

03:37 PM on 05/28/2012

just get everything precooked order the steaks online. and have for the militant vegans tofu burgers to calm them down. as for jalopenos just weat goggles and gloves when handling-believe me jalopeno in the eye is no fun

http://www.thebarbecuemaster.net/steaks-online.html

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MJinCanada

Safe from zombies until my 2nd cup of coffee

1771 Fans

02:08 AM on 05/27/2012

And be careful with waterless hand cleanser. Do not use it and then immediately go turn your burgers with a short fork. One lick of flame coming up and the alcohol residue on your hand will ignite.

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mangohombre

I am not young enough to know everything.

349 Fans

03:58 PM on 05/26/2012

I've never gotten jalapeno in my eyes, but I have pealed some hot peppers and forgot to wash my hands BEFOR using the restroom.

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MJinCanada

Safe from zombies until my 2nd cup of coffee

1771 Fans

02:02 AM on 05/27/2012

That's the kind of thing most guys do only once. ;-)

I bought a box of surgical gloves for hot peppers and other weird things in the kitchen.

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Cold in Michigan

656 Fans

02:25 AM on 05/29/2012

When you run out just use freezer bags, or empty bread wrappers. Cheap, availible at just about any cook out, and can be tossed out when done.

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Cold in Michigan

656 Fans

02:24 AM on 05/29/2012

ouch....

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wildwildwest

Hell is empty and all the Devils are here...

281 Fans

04:28 AM on 05/26/2012

I was at a large outdoor barbecue, down by the river, many years ago. We had put the lighter fluid on the charcoal, and waited a few minutes. I created an minor explosion, when I struck a match too close to the lighter-fluid soaked charcoal. Wound up with some painful burns on my arms. The moral of the story: don't make sparks with either matches or lighters too close to the lighter-fluid vapors...

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