Summer is officially over but summer heat remains in some areas. Here's a quick recap on some of the articles on the topic resulting in children receiving burns on playground mats.
Four year old NYC child hospitalized for 7 days with burn from playground. Parent sues city. City sues parent. Channel 2 news NYC.
Playground dangers. Rubber mats cause burns. Channel 2 News. NYC. "The black rubber mats at Van Vorhees playground in Cobble Hill are supposed to protect children if they fall from the jungle gym. But as pictures of Kian Mehran-Lodge's feet show, the mats themselves can be just as hazardous."
Bakersfield Boy Suffers Third-Degree Burns from Black Rubber Playground Mats.
Eyewitness News in Bakersfield reported a young boy suffered third degree burns when he took off his shoes at Hart Park in Bakersfield, CA. Brenden Thomasy suffered the burns in September 2008. The 4-year-old had gotten sand in his shoes, and took them off to shake them out.
Lawyer and blogger Jonathan Turley points other some other previous cases in which children were burned on playgrounds.
There have been other cases around the country (here) that should put park officials on notice that these mats are unacceptable for playgrounds. Past cases include:
* Emma Regjaj (23 months) with severe burns from mats at St. Catherine’s Park in Manhattan in 2008;
* Parker Wands (16 months) with second degree burns on mats at Ditmars Park in Queens in 2008;
* Kian Mehran-Lodge (14 months) with second degree burns at Van Voorhees Playground in Brooklyn in 2004; and
* Ryan Mazzola (18 months) with first and second degree burns at Midland Beach Playground in Staten Island in 2003.