Dr. Gary Smith: Product designers should think more like kids

Bunk beds, ATVs, fireworks, shopping carts, play grounds—these are just a few of the causes of injuries to children that concern Dr. Gary Smith. Founder and director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, Smith spends his time studying the safety of products and activities from a kid’s point of view

“The world around us is designed by adults for the convenience of adults,” says Smith, who is also an associate professor of pediatrics, emergency medicine and epidemiology at Ohio State University. “What is perfectly safe for adults sometimes isn’t safe for children.”

Smith says the makers of many different products often don’t do a good job addressing child safety issues at the initial design stage. “There often isn’t good testing until products are on the market,” says Smith. “There are many safety issues that should be considered pre-market, not post market. It would be nice to prevent the problems rather than deal with them after they have occurred.”

Take smoke alarms, for example. Smith and his team wanted to determine if the typical smoke alarm did an effective job waking up children so they can get to safety. “Anyone who has kids knows how hard it is to wake them up out of a deep sleep and how they are groggy for a bit when you do,” says Smith. “That’s something called ‘sleep inertia’ and it is critical to making an effective smoke alarm for kids.”

The researchers used several methods to try and awaken the child subjects including the familiar smoke alarms that emit loud blasts. They also experimented with a parent's voice telling a child to wake up. Smith says the research showed the sound of a parent’s voice awakened the children quicker than loud sounds and flashing lights. The voice also cut through the initial grogginess much quicker.

As a result of that study and similar findings, including those of Australian researchers, the National Fire Prevention Association, which sets standards for fire alert equipment, changed its rules in 2007 to allow voice smoke alarms.

In his time at the CIRP, Smith has studied everything from tree house safety to bicycle accidents to injuries sustained during soccer games and cheerleading. His activism has led to changed practices and laws resulting in safer playgrounds, helmet use for biking and other sports, seat belt use for children in shopping carts, and greater awareness of fireworks-related injuries, among other things.

Until recently, most of CIRP’s research focused on the United States, but that is changing. The new goal is to go international. The center recently began a project studying the effects of sleep disturbance and school work pressures on farm work-related injuries among middle school students in China.

Around the world, approximately 2,500 children die each day from injuries, and 95 percent of those deaths occur in middle and low income countries, says Smith. “To take this to the international level where it can literally save the lives of millions of children is an extraordinary opportunity.”—Bob Williams

Comments

[Bob Collins]

As with most initiatives - People have a hard time removing their own interests, pride, perspective and need from programs they envision and develop to help others. See it everyday with Companies who build a product - then try to find a market.

Putting the users and community interests at the center is always the best move - but more challenging that you think. Especially when it comes to protecting and helping children grow.

Alas - your piece today reminds me of the classic Bill Cosby routine -The Playground.