Releases & Statements

**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

July 21, 2008
Contact: Sarah Krauss
(212) 669-4193; (917) 541-0936
Release #:28-2008

PA Gotbaum: Parks Department Must Immediately Replace or Treat Dangerous Playground Material That is Causing Burns to Kids
City playgrounds pose serious hidden danger; Signs warning against bare feet on the playground are not sufficient to ensure children’s safety

Read Letter

Watch the video

MANHATTAN – Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum sent a letter to New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe today requesting that the Parks Department immediately replace or treat the black rubber mats which are causing severe burns to children at city playgrounds. Gotbaum called on the Parks Department to consider a safer alternative, such as playground surfacing in lighter colors, as recommended in a recent U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission handbook.

In addition, the Parks Department should ensure that all city playgrounds have adequate signage in all appropriate languages and identify alternatives to all other equipment in city playgrounds that is capable of causing burn injuries to young children.

Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum said, “It’s unacceptable that children suffer severe and completely avoidable injuries due to equipment installed and maintained by the city. How many burn cases will it take before the city wakes up and acts? Signs warning against bare feet on the playground are not sufficient to ensure children’s safety. The city needs to do more to protect children, and in the interim, ensure the signs are actually helpful in warning and informing parents of small children about these dangers.”

Geoffrey Croft of NYC Park Advocates said, “Instead of apologizing profusely for causing preventable injuries and vowing to correct the problem, the city instead has repeatedly attempted to affix blame to the users, parents and caretakers, for not properly supervising their children. The city refuses to take responsibility for the fact that they are installing a product that has repeatedly proven to hurt parks’ most vulnerable users- young kids.”

Parks Commissioner Benepe was quoted as saying, “signs were posted in playgrounds warning against going barefoot.” However, Gotbaum and New York City Park Advocates identified parks throughout the city that don’t have visible signs, or have signs that are only in English in areas where English is not the primary language. Just this morning, 10 such parks were inspected in the Bronx and Manhattan and none were found to have visible signs posted. These include Carlos J. Lozada Playground, Ranaqua Park, Mill Brook Playground in the Bronx, and Ruppert Park, Alice Kornegay Triangle, Dr. Ronald McNair Playground, River Run Playground in Riverside Park, East River Playground and Columbus Park in Manhattan.

Public Advocate Gotbaum, a former Parks Commissioner, has worked to address park safety issues, including the controversial use of artificial turf in many city parks. In April 2007, she called for independent testing of rubber pellets made from recycled tires containing chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other health problems. In February, 2008, Gotbaum called on the city to issue an immediate moratorium on the installation of artificial turf, and conduct physical tests of turf fields for potential toxins. In addition to potential toxins, she had also noted at the time that artificial turf fields have been shown to heat up to 160 degrees on hot days and there was not adequate signage to protect children.

Public Advocate Gotbaum was joined today by Geoffrey Croft of NYC Park Advocates, and parents whose children have been burned by city playground mats.

A copy of the Public Advocate's letter to Commissioner Benepe is linked above.

Has your child been burned by playground material in New York City? Report the incident here to help ensure that the appropriate action will be taken to prevent other such injuries to children in NYC playgrounds, or contact our Ombudsman Service Unit to get help.

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