A Cobb County mother is upset after her son came home from school with burns from playing on the playground's monkey bars. She says she wasn't notified right away about what happened.
"When he got off the bus, he showed me his hand and both of his hands were blistered up because they were burned while he was playing on the monkey bars at school," said Krystal Boyer, the mother.
"To me it was kind of shocking and upsetting because I was not notified by a teacher about what happened to my son," Boyer said. Jaydon Boyer,6, told his mom the teacher told him to run water on it.
She says the following day a school administrator explained to her what happened on the monkey bars.
"I was actually shocked that they were playing outside in the heat as hot as it was yesterday," Boyer said.
A spokeswoman for Cobb County Schools said the principal apologized and reminded teachers, to be careful when take children outside for extended periods of time.
"We do not have a formal policy regarding weather and outdoor play with regard to heat, but as always recommend that school administrators and teachers always be vigilant about student safety, which is Cobb Schools' No. 1 concern," Jennifer Gates with Cobb County Schools said in an email.
"As we have experienced a number of hot days in succession, all are aware that heat is a serious concern for students, particularly if they're playing outdoors. School principals and their staff take every precaution to ensure students are safe, cool and hydrated during these hot days if they elect to take outdoor recess or exercise breaks," Gates said.
"I have seen children with pretty severe second degree burns on their hands after touching something like that," Dr. Martin Coles, who works in the emergency room at Children's Health care of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. Coles says he's also seen children come in with severe burns to their feet, because of hot pavement.
"If the children have some shade to be in, if they got sunscreen, hydrated. They need to be careful in the schools about hydration.. I think 15 minutes of recess is fine," Coles said.
About the Author
