20th July 2022
Sanctuary Scotland
Keep your family safe by thinking twice before using a gas canister or barbecue in your home.
Gas canisters may be portable and convenient but they can explode if damaged or heated up. Please take care when getting rid of empty canisters as they can still be dangerous.
Other risks of using gas stoves and barbecues indoors or on balconies include:
- Fires – caused by hot surfaces touching household items.
- Burns – from unprotected hot surfaces. Disposable barbecues take a long time to cool down and are a particular risk to children.
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a gas with no colour, smell or taste that stops blood carrying oxygen around the body. We check our residents’ gas boilers and cookers at least once a year to make sure they’re not producing dangerous levels of CO gas. Unfortunately, equipment designed for occasional, outdoor use doesn’t come with the same safeguards. If used within your home, gas camping stoves and charcoal-fuelled barbecues put you at risk of CO poisoning. Disposable barbecues continue to give off CO until they are completely cold.
Jenny Harris, our Head of Building Safety, said: “As the cost of metered supplies of gas and electricity increase, there may be more temptation to use portable gas camping stoves and barbecues for cooking and heating indoors, but it’s important to recognise the dangers.”
For more advice on safety in the home, information on our responsibilities and steps you can take, look at our webpage. Are you facing financial hardship? For information on local services and support available, check out our interactive map or contact these national support services.
