The hidden dangers a playground can pose | ABC30 Fresno

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By ABC30

Friday, July 17, 2009

Fresno, CA Older kids know when equipment's just too hot. But little ones like 2-year old Carter White rely on their parents.

We asked Mike Bowman of Fresno County Cal Fire to take a thermal imaging camera and measure the actual heat on a local playground at one-o'clock in the afternoon.

"Concrete 132-degrees, 172-degrees for the rubberized flooring, 183-degrees for the solid floor and 196-degrees for the slide."

Water boils at 212-degrees, the playground visit served as an eye-opener for Bowman.

Mike Bowman, Cal Fire said "It's about 170-degrees and at about 120-degrees a child's skin starts to burn at three seconds, second-third degree burns."

Alex White from Clovis said "That is amazing."

Alex White only takes his kids to playgrounds with shaded areas, "they're a good indicator of what's hot and what's not. In the sun it's got to be twenty-degrees more. It's pretty hot."

But the temperature swing's actually even greater.

"Even in the shaded surface we're still looking at 130-degrees temperature." Said Mike Bowman.

This week a 14-month old Colorado girl suffered third-degree burns while briefly kneeling on a playground platform.

"That's about 150-degrees, it doesn't really feel like it's that hot, you know." Said Mike Bowman

Bowman says parents worry more about sun block and keeping their kids hydrated than they do hot playground or backyard equipment.

"I think it's one of those hidden dangers we have to think about as parents. All it takes is three seconds at 124-degrees and your child's feet are burned to the point of maybe requiring surgery."

Bowman said parents shouldn't let the little ones run barefoot on a hot playground. Make sure you touch the equipment before you let them play on it.