Signs will soon be up to warn parents of the hot surfaces at a Greenwood park after complaints that a rubber playground surface was causing burns to bare-footed children.
The Greenwood Parks and Recreation Department received calls from concerned parents about the rubberized surface at the City Center Park after one mother posted on Facebook that a 2-year-old child had suffered second-degree burns to his feet when he wandered onto the playground without any socks or shoes on.
The playground is next to the splash pad, which means barefoot kids playing there will sometimes go over to the playground.
City Center Park has the only outdoor playground with this rubber surface in Greenwood, but Greenwood Parks and Recreation Director Rob Taggart said this type of safety surface is commonplace through the U.S. in both outdoor and indoor parks. The surface also is used inside the Greenwood Community Center, he said.
But just like a sidewalk or concrete, the surface has the potential to become very hot, and the parks department is monitoring the situation, Taggart said.
Signs will be placed near the playground to warn parents about the hot surface and tell them that their kids should wear shoes at all times, he said.
