Parents have been issued a dire warning about an unexpected danger on playgrounds over the summer.
An expert and father at Kidsafe NSW said a surface temperature of more than 50 degrees Celsius is very dangerous for children – and playgrounds often go well beyond that.
On a summer day with an air temperature of 33ºC, the surface temperature of playground equipment can rise to 105ºC.
“With global warming causing temperatures to rise and La Niña on the East Coast, children’s environments have been terribly affected,” said Nic Seton, CEO of Parents for the climatetold FEMAIL.
‘The sun, heat and humidity on a non-hot day make for terribly unsafe conditions. I tested the temperatures at my local park in Sydney’s west and found them as high as 70 degrees Celsius at 4pm.”
An expert and father at Kidsafe NSW said surface temperatures over 50 degrees Celsius are very dangerous for children – and playgrounds often go well beyond that
He urged all parents to ensure their children have adequate heat protection in the form of hats, loose-fitting clothing and enough water to stay hydrated. Signs that children are overheating include dehydration and excessive sweating, headaches and dry mouth.
The father of two children lives close to the popular area Camperdown Memorial Park, where hundreds of Sydneysiders visit every day.
He tested the temperature and found that the swings were 36 degrees Celsius, the jumper was 41 degrees Celsius and the stairs to the slides were 54 degrees Celsius.
“The slide itself is 70 degrees Celsius, so you’re going to be dealing with third-degree burns if you come off,” the father said.
“If this were a weekday, our children would be coming home from school and wanting to play in a playground – and their expectation is that this would be safe.
‘Unfortunately that is not the case. There is not enough shade, the heat is too strong. We need more trees and more shade cloth.”
Surface temperatures in parks can rise quickly as rubber floors and artificial grass often exceed 90 degrees Celsius. Anything above 50 degrees Celsius is considered too dangerous for children
The best plans of action are to wait for a cooler time or wet the area to cool the surface.
You can also install shade structures or plant trees in the area, or ensure that the equipment has a light-colored surface to absorb less heat.
Mr. Seton shared that children do not do that have the same physiological ability to maintain safe temperatures in the body.
“Children’s environments are not keeping pace with climate change,” he said. ‘Everything is alarmingly hot and children are not safe from the heat.
‘Children are more sensitive and vulnerable to heat than adults, and heat waves are deadlier than any other natural disaster.’
Parents are being warned about the dangers of their local playground as the mercury starts to rise – especially if they let their children play without shoes – healing burns pictured
CPR Kids pediatric nurses previously shared worrying images showing burns on the bottoms of a youngster’s feet after using playground equipment without shoes.
The photo shows large, burst blisters under the big and second toes.
“It is not uncommon to see a parent at the park checking out the slide that is in the sun and seeing that it is scorching hot,” the CPR Kids team wrote.
‘A child is at risk of burns if a surface becomes warmer than 50 degrees Celsius and if the skin is heated to 45 degrees Celsius for a longer period of time. At surface temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius, sensitive young skin can be severely burned within seconds and surgery may be required.’
In the post, the team of health workers dodged other “heat-related” illnesses they would warn parents about before summer.
Another woman shared this photo of burns on her son’s foot after a day of fishing from the rocks, highlighting the importance of shoes everywhere, not just in playgrounds
A few people shared their own stories.
“As a teenager I burned the entire skin of my butt on a hot slide, talk about pain,” one woman wrote on the post.
Another explained that her children had similar blisters on their feet after playing on the rocks near the water last summer.
“They look like my feet when I played netball barefoot on the hot court in high school,” a third added, tagging her friend.
One mother said she always checks the metal part of a seat belt before putting her children in the car for the same reason.