Parents reminded to watch out for hot surfaces as kids play outdoors

JACKSON, Tenn. — A picture of a burned child was shared by Las Vegas Fire & Rescue to help warn people about the unexpected hazards of using garden hoses that have been laying in the sun all day. It’s something Family Nurse Practitioner Carol Luckey says has even happened to her.

“You don’t realize how hot water gets when it’s laying in a hose outside,” Luckey said. “So you really need to let it run for a while and make sure the temperature’s OK before you aim it at somebody.”

Luckey says many surfaces outside can be hazardous, especially to children.

“Even the metal chains that hold the swings, you need to check them before you let the child get on it,” Luckey said.

And it’s not just metal surfaces — plastic slides can pose just as much as a threat for burns. Playgrounds are one of the easiest spots children can get hurt.

“Just a second ago they had checked their slide, but they ran to go on another one just then and they sat down and got burnt a little bit,” said Richard Lawrence, a father of two, who was at the park with his young daughters.

If we go there in the afternoon, most of the time we’re there for a few minutes and it’s the kids’ choice to leave, which is rare for kids,” said stay-at-home mom Shanon Distasio. “They don’t ever want to leave the park, so when it’s that hot that the kids are like ‘we wanna go,’ then we know it’s a problem.”

Anything exposed directly to sunlight, especially on these 90-degree days, will always heat up quickly. Parents need to always be aware and make sure their children’s surroundings are safe.

“Well, if they’re getting on concrete, make sure they got flip-flops or shoes on, a towel to sit on or anything like that,” Lawrence said. “Make sure they know to touch the surface before they get on it, to make sure it’s safe for them to get on.”

Luckey also said that water outside that warms up above 120 degrees is hot enough to cause first-degree burns and blisters.