3 billion barbeques will be lit during the summer months. With kids out of school for the summer, everyone is headed outdoors... to the beach, camping, fishing, or even just out to the backyard. And everywhere they go, they're cooking on the grill. Super Handyman Al Carrell is About The House with a few tips on making your barbeque experience a safe and enjoyable one.

Al Carrell: When you get ready to barbeque, it's important to protect yourself by wearing a heavy apron and an oven mitt that fits high up over your forearm. That should keep you pretty well protected.

But if you do get burned, you need to run cool water over the burn for 10 to 15 minutes. You never want to put butter or a salve on burns because they'll seal in the heat and just cause further damage to your skin. And, of course, if you receive a serious burn the sooner you get some medical attention the better.

For charcoal grills, only use starter fluids designed for those grills -- NEVER USE GASOLINE! And use a limited amount of starter fluid before lighting the fire. If the fire is too slow, rekindle with dry kindling and add more charcoal if necessary, but don't ever add liquid fuel to re-ignite or build up a fire or you could end up with a flash fire.

And, finally, be sure to soak the coals with water before you put them in the trash.

With gas grills, you want to make sure the gas cylinder is always stored outside and away from your house. Make sure the valves are turned off when you're not using them. And check regularly for leaks in the connections using a soap and water mix that will show bubbles where the gas escapes.

All barbeque grills should be kept on a level surface away from the house, garage, landscaping, and, most of all, children. Remember, grills remain hot long after you're through barbequing.

I'm Super Handyman Al Carrell, About The House.