Aug 2, 2019
Vidcast: https://youtu.be/0o7pEsu1LAg
When the summer heat drives air temperatures north of 100˚F, sidewalks turn into hot plates that can burn your skin in a matter of seconds. Surgeons from the University of Las Vegas studied some 173 pavement burn cases they treated over the past 4 years.
Eighty-eight percent of the mostly second degree burns occurred when air temps were 95˚F or hotter. On such days, the pavements are hotter than the air, reaching close to 150 ˚F then the air is 111˚F. FYI—you can fry an egg at those temperatures.
When the temperatures rise above 90˚F, be sure that you, your kids, and your pets wear protective footwear. Watch where you put your hands as well as your feet. Those metal handrails and your own car’s steering wheel can give you a nasty burn, so you might want to have a towel or gloves handy.
Jorge Vega, Paul Chestovich, Syed Saquib, Douglas Fraser. A 5-Year Review of Pavement Burns From a Desert Burn Center. Journal of Burn Care & Research, 2019; 40 (4): 422 DOI: 10.1093/jbcr/irz049
#Heat #pavementburns #burns