A sheltered, level site away from anything that could catch fire is best. Never try to move a lit barbecue, or leave it unattended.

A charcoal barbecue needs to be lit about 45 minutes before you would like to start cooking. A gas barbecue should be lit about 10 minutes before use.

Begin cooking when all the flames have died down and the coals are glowing red under a think layer of grey ash.

Placing fresh coals around the hot ones on the barbecue will kill the heat and serve to prolong the cooking time.

The heat for cooking can be controlled by adjusting the distance of the grill from the coals. The closer the grill is to the coals, the higher the heat will be.

A good way to test the heat of the barbecue is to carefully hold your hand about 15cm above the coals. If you can keep it there for only one or two seconds, the fire is hot. If you can keep your hand there for three to five seconds, the heat is medium. However, if you can keep your hand there for six to eight seconds, the barbecue is cool.

Take care when testing the heat this way and never encourage children to try this method. Take extra care when children and pets are present.

If it rains, most food that can be barbecues can also be cooked under a medium grill, on a griddle or in a pre-heated oven.

Food can stick to the grill. To prevent this happening, brush the grill with oil before you begin cooking.

Watch out as fat, juices and marinades dripping onto the fire can cause flames to leap up, blacken the food and spoil the flavour. Keep a spray-bottle of cold water nearby to douse any flames.

Food, which is left, stuck to the cooking grill is not just a potential health hazard - it will also affect the taste of your next barbecue. Allow the food to burn off at the end of the cooking before cleaning the grill with a wire brush while it is slightly warm.

The grill can then be washed with hot, soapy water and a scouring pad

Avoid wearing loose or flammable clothes, and tie long hair back.

Use long-handled skewers and oven gloves when cooking with skewers and kebabs.

Petrol, methylated spirit, paraffin, or white spirit should never be used to light a barbecue.

Use barbecue gel or firelighters and follow the instructions on the pack.

Never put barbecue gel or firelighters onto a barbecue once it is lit.

Keep a fire extinguisher, bucket of water, sand or earthy nearby, in case of a fire.

Cooking food outdoors can increase the risk of food poisoning. It's harder to keep foods very hot or very cold and to keep everything clean so take extra care:

Clean work surfaces and utensils thoroughly before, during and after use.

Store and prepare raw meats separately from cooked and prepacked foods.

Thaw frozen meat and poultry thoroughly in the fridge.

Wash hands thoroughly before preparing food, after touching raw meat and before eating.

Keep marinated meat and poultry in the fridge until you are ready to cook.

Light the barbecue well in advance, make sure you use enough charcoal and wait until it is glowing red (with a powdery grey surface) before starting to cook.

Keep raw and cooked foods apart at all times. Don't handle cooked foods with utensils that have touched raw meats or put cooked or ready-to-eat food on plates that have held raw meats.

Keep meats, salads and other perishable food in a cool bag with ice packs or in the fridge until just before you are ready to cook or eat them. Serve salads at the last minute.

Cook all meat, meat products and poultry throughout - no pink bits in the middle. If possible, fully pre-cook all poultry and sausages in the microwave or oven then take it straight to the barbecue to add the final barbecue flavour.

Turn food regularly as it cooks to avoid charring one side and under-cooking the other. If it starts to burn on the outside raise the grill height or reduce the heat of the charcoal (dampen coals slightly or partially close air vents).

Never re-use meat or poultry marinades or pour raw marinade onto cooked meat.

Never partially cook food to finish later.

Keep serving bowls covered to protect them from dust, insects and pets

Keep children and pets away from food, dishes, preparation surfaces and hot barbecues.

Dispose of barbecue ashes and throw away barbecues carefully, especially if you are picnicking on the beach.

Make sure the barbecue is completely cool before packing away.

Doused any spent fuel or charcoal with water to cool it.

Remember to dispose off your litter properly.