This is a real thing that can mess you up pretty good. If you like to grill, you can get brushes that use these sort of flat dullish thick metal spikes rather than bristles, they work just as well. Pick one up.
It's a more common problem than you think. I've seen this on my local news several times.
Anyone have links to alternatives?
I've switched to a wooden scraper that can be purchased at Amazon or a local dollar store. They definitely do not get the grill as clean. Some better alternatives are well over $20.
I'd personally like to see the bristle brushes gone and replaced with a safer products.
The specific one I'm thinking of I was using in a restaurant kitchen back in the day. I'm having a hell of a time finding something like it in the sea of grill brushes online. I did find this guy which would do the job just fine with no included gastrointestinal surgery. Kind of pricey but just being a metal rod you probably would never need to replace it.
seems like a cool guy. "It's going to be quite the scar," Kirkegaard said. "But I'm no spring chicken, so whatever." 22 staples right down the abdomen youch.