KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Higher temperatures equate to hotter surfaces for various everyday items.
FOX 17 used an infrared thermometer to check the sand at a park, asphalt, and even playground equipment. The seat inside a convertible Mustang was 178 degrees. A metal mailbox handle was 108 degrees. The sand at Millennium Park in Kent County was 108 degrees.
“It’s really hot. It burns your feet. You have to carry your kids to the water. Don’t let them walk on it, cause they’ll start crying. It hurts me, and I’m obviously an adult,” Brandi Miles, a Kent County resident said.
The hottest surface FOX 17 came across for playground equipment was a slide that read 152 degrees. Medical experts say a child can suffer first or second degree burns if the temperatures are hot enough.
From playing in the sun to working outdoors, FOX 17 caught up with a group of guys that may have one of the ‘hotter’ jobs around. Crews at Midwest Asphalt Maintenance handle hot tar regularly, but this week’s temperatures prompt extra caution.
“Extremely hot. It’s dangerous doing this type of work in these weather conditions right now,” Steve Dexter, an employee said.
A baking sun and humid air didn’t help as they poured the hot mix at the North Kent Recycling Center in Rockford.
“The heat is coming out of our trucks, probably right around somewhere close to 300 degrees, and it’s just rising from there,” Dexter said.
The truck’s temperature without asphalt read 204 degrees. With asphalt, the reading was above 260 degrees. “It’s hot no matter what you do. You just pace yourself,” Shawn Ogden, an employee said.
Empty Gatorade and water bottles were visible on site, as crews kept hydrated.
“Everybody takes turns [and] gets a drink. I like the wet towl. [It] keeps my head cool. Keeps my body temperature down,” Dexter said. Whatever it takes to get the job done safely is the mindset.
“Somebody’s got to do it. I’ve been with the company for 20 years, I don’t know, in 20 years you kind of get used to it. Keep an eye on the guys, make sure nobody’s sick, nobody’s feeling bad or looking bad,” Ogden said.
The Red Cross has a list of tips that parents can follow to keep their kids safe at playgrounds in high heat. Here it is:
http://www.redcross.org/news/article/Know-the-Risks-Sweltering-Temperatures-Pose-for-Children
http://www.uahealth.com/article/beware-burn-dangers-playground-equipment
