Top tips for PTA barbecue safety
Image: Adults gathered around a barbecue.
From frying classic burgers to charring delicious seasonal veg, a barbecue is the taste of summer! However, safety and hygiene should be your top priority for any food-based fundraisers, especially when cooking over flames.
Before getting started
- Choose experienced volunteers – Only involve volunteers who are confident cooking with and managing barbecues
- Test your barbecue – Always check your barbecue is functioning safely, especially if it hasn’t been used in a while
- Ensure food is handled safely – Raw meat and produce should be appropriately refrigerated at a safe temperature, and you must prevent cross-contamination between food items. The Food Standards Agency has produced comprehensive guidance to safely preparing barbecue food, which you can refer to
Top tip!
Never leave the barbecue unattended.
Fire safety
- Set up your barbecue in an unenclosed outdoor space, on level ground and at a distance from trees, wooden fences or anything else flammable. Consider siting your barbecue on a concrete school playground
- Any fuels, such as charcoal or propane gas, should be stored and handled with care
- Never use accelerants like petrol to start your barbecue
- Fire safety equipment should be kept nearby, such as an extinguisher, a bucket of water, sand and a fire blanket
Top tip!
You can download our risk assessment template from our website.
While cooking
- Avoid distractions – consider appointing one volunteer to cook food and another to take and manage payments
- Wear an apron and barbecue gloves and use longer utensils to help prevent burns
- Ensure meats are properly cooked to safe temperatures (using a probe thermometer can help you check) and that vegetarian and vegan products do not come into contact with meats
- Children and pets should be kept a safe distance from the barbecue
- Barbecues can stay hot and give off harmful carbon monoxide fumes for hours after they go out, so take care when packing away after the event
Top tip!
If you still don’t feel confident about running your own barbecue, there are catering companies you can hire to provide a barbecue at your event.
Image designed by Freepik
-
Outdoor fundraising projects for PTAs
09 April 2025From a tiny seed of an idea to fully blossoming plans, here are some steps your PTA can take to get an outdoor project off the ground (or rather, into the ground!). -
3‑month countdown to your summer fair
19 March 2025Got a summer fair planned in three months? Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to prep for and when.
