CLEVELAND — Look before you touch.
That is the advice of first-responders when it comes to many outdoor items in the heat.
On Thursday, an infrared thermometer was used to test the heat of objects around town and results were surprising.
While a concrete sidewalk was 99 degrees, the rubbery surface of a playground was 104. A wooden park bench came in at 106.
Dr. Baruch Fertel with the Cleveland Clinic says surfaces are hot enough for burns.
“Especially from those metal slides, you know, kids are wearing shorts, they may not have that barrier,” he said. “I don’t think you’d see a 3rd degree burn, but you can definitely see a 1st degree burn, maybe even a 2nd if it got really hot outside.”
Looks can also be deceiving.
Whereas soil dissipates heat and laying in grass can be a good option, artificial turf can be as hot as that rubbery playground.
Cars can become deadly.
“Even if you crack the window, it’s not going to help,” Dr. Fertel said. “Those cars can heat up really fast.”
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warns a child’s skin burns faster than adults, which is a reminder to check the buckles on their car seats.
If they are hot to your touch, they are even hotter to your kids'.