Mid-Missouri heat turns playground equipment into burn risk
Erika McGuire
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Hot temperatures have arrived in Mid-Missouri, turning playground equipment into potential burn hazards for children.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, each year more than 200,000 children go to the emergency room with injuries from playground equipment.
Jefferson City Parks and Recreation says a young girl was injured at the Community Park last Wednesday after going down a metal slide. The slides have been closed until further notice.
“The playground and play features are built to industry safety standards; our staff have determined these two slide features will be closed off until further notice. We’ve reached out to the manufacturer for solutions that would allow us to reopen the feature sooner and are keeping an eye on surface temperatures,” JC Parks and Recreation said a statement
ABC 17 News tested a metal and plastic slide with a temperature gun at Cosmo Park in Columbia.
The plastic slide came in at 135 degrees, while the metal slide registered at 110 degrees.
While metal slides typically heat up faster, plastic can actually retain heat longer, especially in direct sunlight, making it just as dangerous.
Placement of equipment can also make a difference. ABC 17 News temperature gaged a tire that sat directly in the sun and one that was in the shade. We found the tire in the shade was 126 degrees while the tired under a tree in the shade came in at 99 degrees.
Both temperature checks were conducted around 12:30 p.m.
The CPSC warns of the risk of thermal burns from playground equipment, as metal and even plastic or rubber equipment can become hot enough to burn a child’s skin.
Mother Erika Tagliaferro was at Cosmo Park with her husband and daughter while on the road to St. Louis and quickly decided some equipment was off limits.
“I walked up and saw the metal slide and immediately it was a no,” Tagliaferro said.
She said when the warmer temperatures come around she keeps safety in mind when she dresses her daughter.
“If possible it is so hot so but tighter pants or tighter shorts even impose to the looser flowwy ones,” Tagliaferro added.
While clothing will help, many playgrounds lack proper shade.
The National Program For Playground Safety found in 2019 that 67% of playgrounds in the U.S. were fully exposed to the sun from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Mother Monica Jackson said more shade would allow her and her son to stay at the park longer.
“They have those sun shades those triangular ones that would make a big difference,” Jackson said.
The agency warns that any child of any age runs the risk of being burned by a hot source, but children 2 years old and younger are the most at risk. A young child’s skin is more susceptible to burning because it is thinner and more delicate.
What to watch out for:
Uncoated metal equipment, or metal equipment where the heat-reducing coating has rubbed off;
Slides, swings or other equipment that a child may sit on;
Dark-colored plastics and rubbers, especially the surfacing under and around the playground equipment;
Asphalt and concrete surfaces near playgrounds.
Safety tips:
Tap equipment first with back of your head for five seconds. If it’s too hot, it’s unsafe
Visit the park before peak sun hours
Wear breathable clothing and longer pants to protect the skin and closed-toe shoes.