Jul 21, 2008 6:32 pm US/Eastern
Official Calls For Replacement Of Playground Mats
Rubber Surfaces Heat To Severely Dangerous Temperatures In Summer
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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CBS 2 has been bringing these horrifying incidents to light for several summers now and one city official is saying enough is enough.
CBS
It's a danger right at your child's feet: overheated playground mats leaving barefoot children with severe burns.
CBS 2 has been bringing these horrifying incidents to light for several summers now and one city official is saying enough is enough.
Just last year, CBS 2 introduced you to Will Casson, whose feet were burned and blistered from walking barefoot on mats at an Upper East Side playground. A year later, his parents say the city still has done nothing to remove the danger from the city's parks.
"At the very least we need signs that warn of the burn dangers immediately and for the city to remove and replace these with a better surface," said Rich Casson, Will's father.
Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum is getting behind the Casson family. On Monday, she called on the Parks Department to make changes immediately.
"I'm asking the Parks Department to immediately replace or treat these dangerous mats to make the playground safe for children," she said.
Parks officials say they're doing everything they can to ensure safety on the playground, but Gotbaum says the department must act faster.
"Our parents and children are at risk and this summer is going to be even hotter and we have to make sure that people are as safe as possible," she said
Watchdog groups say more than a dozen children each year are treated for burns caused by hot playground equipment. Once a surface reaches over 120 degrees, burns become a possibility.
How hot can playground equipment get?
A reading taken Friday afternoon showed a temperature of nearly 167 degrees.
"Parents do not know that these temperatures rise to this degree. We must do a better job and find solutions," said Geoffrey Croft, a NYC parks advocate.
Gotbaum is also asking the Parks Department to put up more signs and in multiple languages, explicitly alerting parents of the possible dangers of the playground mats.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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