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.” (See our tips for outdoor safety.)

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.”

Read the rest of this post on our Safety blog.