Caution: Even On Mild Day, Kids Can Get Burned On Playground Equipment

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A nice summer day seems to be the perfect time to take your kids to the park, but be careful.

That playground equipment may be too hot. Even on mild days, the equipment can burn the skin.

It doesn't take much for a young child to suffer burns.

Kelley Baumgartel remembers the time her son, Jack, got burned.

"He just ran full speed to a metal slide and he immediately backed off and was crying and I knew what happened, but I didn't think of it at first," she said.

But, it's not just metal that poses a danger - plastic and rubber at playgrounds can lead to thermal burns as well.

Toddlers, who have thinner skin, are most at risk.

"Kids can burn at 120 degrees, so at 140 it's a couple of seconds and kids are going to blister," Chris Vitale, of UPMC Children's Hospital, said.

Armed with a laser heat meter, KDKA-TV's Susan Koeppen checked out some playgrounds on a sunny 85-degree day.

She found slides ranging from 121 to 136 degrees and rubber mats at 145 degrees.

Again, burns can happen on equipment in direct sunlight, even on a mild day.

If your child suffers a burn, you should run it under cold water. If it starts to blister, see a doctor.

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