Planning to fire up your grill? Here are some safety precautions to take.

Labor Day may be over, but if you are still planning to use your grill for the remaining days of summer and into fall and football season, be aware of some of the dangers that can come with it. Dr. Sara Andrabi, assistant professor in the Henry J.N. Taub Department of Emergency Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, shares how to grill safely, especially if using a wire grill brush.

Question: What are some grilling tips people should know about?
Answer:  Understand how to handle the grill safely:

• Keep your grill at least 10 feet away from your home to prevent fire damage.
• Never leave your grill unattended.
• Make sure your grill is positioned on a flat surface to prevent it from losing balance or tipping over.
• Never try to move a lit or hot grill. A grill can stay hot for at least an hour after use.
• Have a fire extinguisher nearby in case of a fire.
• Clothing can easily catch fire, so it is important that no clothing is dangling over the grill.
• Wear protective footwear (closed-toe shoes are better than sandals).
• Consider wearing grilling gloves to protect your hands from flames.
• Always make sure your gas grill lid is open before lighting it.
• When you are finished grilling, let the coals cool completely before disposing of them in a metal container.
• Before leaving, douse the fire with water and make sure the area is cool to the touch.

Q: Why can it be dangerous to use a wire grill brush?
A: Wire grill brushes can be dangerous because their bristles can break off, become stuck to food and be accidentally swallowed. These are nearly invisible metal fragments. Ingesting these sharp, metal fragments can cause severe internal injuries, such as cuts to the mouth, throat and intestines.

Check the grill for any loose bristles before cooking starts. Grills should be wiped to remove any loose bristles. Before eating, inspect food for any visible bristles, especially if you notice anything unusual or sharp. You can politely inquire if a wire brush was used for cleaning the grill and suggest an alternative if possible.

Q: If you accidentally ingest a bristle from a wire grill brush, how is it diagnosed? How is it treated? Is time of the essence?
A: Acute onset of pain, which can often be localized to the throat, neck or abdomen, depending on where the bristle gets lodged. Other symptoms include difficulty swallowing, pain while swallowing and/or fever (if infection occurs). Imaging studies, such as a CT scan, can be used to help locate the bristle and identify associated complications like infections or perforations.

If ingestion is suspected, patients are placed on NPO (nothing by mouth) status, so they are not allowed to eat or drink anything to prevent further injury or complications. To remove a bristle, an endoscopy can be done by inserting a flexible camera into the esophagus and stomach to view and retrieve it. In cases where the bristle has migrated to an area that cannot be retrieved by the endoscopy or has perforated through the GI tract, surgical intervention may be necessary.

Time is of the essence to avoid any complications. Complications (some discussed above) include perforation, infection and migration. Perforation can happen if a bristle pierces the GI tract. Having something foreign in your body, like a bristle from a wire grill brush, can introduce bacteria, leading to a higher risk of infection. With time, the bristle can move to other parts of the body, complicating its retrieval.]

Q: What can you use instead of a wire grill brush?
A: There are bristle-free grill brushes and scrapers that can be used as an alternative to wire grill brushes. Most will very clearly be labeled “bristle-free” for easy identification.

Q: How often should you clean your grill?
A: You should clean your grill after every use, after it has cooled. The more grease and fat that have built up on your grill, the more fuel there is for a fire. Aim to deep clean once every 1-2 months.

By Taylor Barnes