BBQuality and safety!

The winter sales are pretty much over and it's time for the spring/summer assortment. And what really belongs to summer? Sun, sea, beach and... barbecuing of course! You obviously want the barbecues in your range to work well and, above all, to be safe. Barbecues come in various shapes and sizes, and different types of barbecues involve different risks. Barbecues operate on charcoal, gas or electricity. Therefore, different designs are subject to multiple guidelines and safety standards.

It may not always be clear to you what safety requirements your barbecue must meet. We would be happy to help you get started!

Barbecues and the risks

Examples of real safety risks with barbecues include instability of the barbecue or fire hazards due to missing or incomplete instructions for use. Both cases can lead to dangerous situations where consumers are at risk of injury. Having to recall the barbecue as a result of incidents is then a possible consequence. A scenario that, as a seller, you naturally prefer to avoid.

Different safety requirements

Charcoal, gas and electric barbecues all fall under different European legislation. This legislation contains only generic safety requirements. To support this, there are therefore European safety standards for different types of barbecues. Using the specific safety requirements in these standards, you can demonstrate compliance with European directives:

• Solid fuel barbecues

  General Product Safety Directive 2001/95/EC applies to conventional charcoal barbecues.

  Standard: EN 1860-1:2013+A1:2017 - Part 1: Standard for solid fuel barbecues and lighting aids.

  Checking for stability, construction durability and established safety warnings, among others.

• Gas barbecues

  Gas barbecues fall within the scope of Directive 2016/426 for gas burning appliances.

  Standard: EN 498:2012: Requirements for liquid gas appliances - Barbecues for outdoor use, including grilling

  Checking for stability, gas line assembly, control knobs and product-specific safety warnings, among others.

• Electric barbecue

  Electric barbecues with alternating current from 50 to 1000V or direct current from 75 to 1500V are subject to the Low Voltage Directive 2014/35/EU (LVD).

  Standard: EN 60335-2-78:2003: Household and similar electrical appliances - Safety - Part 2-78: Particular requirements for outdoor barbecues.

  Checking for stability, electronic safety and product-specific safety warnings, among others.

Chemical safety requirements

In addition to physical, mechanical and electrical risks, consider any chemical safety risks.

Barbecues contain parts that come into contact with food. Consider the metal grill grid, which may have a non-stick coating.

Food contact materials can release substances into a food under certain circumstances. The release of chemical substances to an extent harmful to human health is not permitted under the European Framework Regulation 1935/2004 on food contact materials. Food contact materials in the Netherlands must comply with the Dutch Warenwetregeling Verpakkingen en Gebruiksartikelen.

Materials used in barbecues must also meet the requirements in the European REACH Regulation 1907/2006. Chemicals whose use is restricted, such as nickel and PFOA, may be present. For electronic barbecues, Directive 2011/65/EU (ROHS), regarding the restriction of certain hazardous substances in electrical appliances, also applies.

Need support?

Do you need help determining the safety requirements applicable to your barbecues? Or do you need help putting together a proper safety file? Précon Quality Services can help you! Feel free to contact us at +31 (0)30 - 65 66 010 or info@precongroup.com.