Barbeques

Barbeques may be used if the following guidelines are followed:

Setting up

• Security must be informed prior to any barbeque event.
• Nominate one person to be in charge of the barbeque - they must avoid consuming alcohol (as this increases the chance of an accident) and they should be in a position to manage the barbeque and prevent uninvited people attending.
• Ensure barbeques are sited at least 3 metres away from buildings, fences, shrubbery/trees, garden furniture, waste storage areas and other combustible risks.  If there is a wind blowing, make sure it is blowing away from you when lighting the barbeque.
• Barbeques should be sited on a flat, stable surface (preferably on the ground).
• Use solid fire lighters to light barbeque charcoal, and you should ideally use "cook's" matches instead of a cigarette lighter.  Never use petrol, lighter fuel, kerosene, methylated spirits or other volatile fuel to light a barbeque (nor to relight one which seems to have gone out since being ignited).  Alternatively, you could use specially treated barbeque briquettes instead of charcoal.
• Make sure you are not wearing any loose clothing which could flap onto the barbeque and catch fire.
• If you are using a gas barbeque, check the condition of all pipes and connections before lighting, and only change the cylinder in the open air, with the barbeque unlit.
• If you suspect a leak, turn the gas off immediately.
• Have a pair of thick oven gloves for handling hot utensils.
• If possible, keep a supply of water nearby in case of emergency.
• Keep games like football, cricket, volleyball etc, well away from the cooking area.
• Take care when cooking fatty foods; fat spilling onto the coals may cause fires to flare up.
• Be careful when lifting the lid on a covered barbeque, as a sudden rush of air may cause severe flames.  

Food hygiene

• Always wash your hands before preparing food, and after handling raw meat products. 
• Wait until the charcoal is glowing red, with a powdery grey surface, before you start to cook.
• Make sure that frozen foods are completely thawed before cooking.
• Raw foods must be cooked through (particulatly chicken & minced meat products). 
• Bring raw meat or chicken products up to room temperature before starting, to ensure even cooking; turn food regularly, and move it around the barbeque griddle surface.
• Make sure that raw foods are cooked through (particularly chicken and meat products) by checking that the centre of the food is piping hot, with no pink meat left - never assume that if it is charred on the outside it will be cooked in the middle.  
• Use separate tongs for raw and cooked foods.
• Keep raw foods separate from cooked or ready-to-eat foods.

Clearing up

• When you have finished, douse the coals with water until they are completely out, and leave them to cool; alternatively, simply close the lid on a covered barbeque (on smaller barbeques, transfer the coals to a metal bucket with a lid).
• Never put ashes straight into a dustbin, wheelie bin, plastic container, or other container with combustible materials inside.  If the ashes are still hot, they can melt plastic and cause a fire.  Special blue fireproof bins are provided outside Dalton Tower, by the recycling station.
• When using a gas barbeque, always ensure that gas cylinders are switched off before disconnecting the hose.
• Thoroughly clean all utensils and the griddle on re-usable barbeques before storage.