Barefoot in the (N.Y.C.) Park; kids getting burned

From: Gary E. Rosenberg, P.C. (Queens Injury Lawyer) Children are getting burned in New York City Parks, due to the intense summer heat. There are reports of two sources of these burns: metal slides and rubberized cushioned ground mats. The metal slides heat up under the sun, and children have been known to splash water down the slides to make them cool enough to use. Possibly scarier are the incidents of barefoot children who burn the bottoms of their feet on the black mats. News reports say that in the hot sun the mats can reach temperatures as high as 165 degrees. Dr. Palmer Bessey, of New York-Presbyterian's burn center, states that the soles of young feet can be burned in about three seconds at 140 degrees. The City's Department of Parks and Recreation notes that all parks have signs warning children and other users to wear shoes, and that parents and caretakers should keep a careful eye on youngsters, who sometimes want to run barefoot. A recent U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission handbook recommended lighter colors for playground surfacing, which would get hot less quickly than the black mats that are currently installed.