Debunking the Myth of Misuse of Consumer Products by Children: A Necessary Component of Risk Management. M. Brickley and G. Rider, Inchcape Testing Services, 195 Anderson Ave., Moonachie, NJ 07074
Understanding the manner in which children use consumer products is critical in order to prevent injury. In the risk equation: RISK = HAZARD X EXPOSURE, one of the components of hazard is the manner in which the child uses the product (foreseeable use). True understanding of foreseeable use requires a knowledge of child development and the play strategies children use. The child development literature suggests that children go through stages of development from infancy to adolescence. These stages of development are what forms the foundation for the study of foreseeable use. Throughout the stages, each child attempts in her/his play to achieve optimal stimulation, which means that the child plays with objects in new and different ways continuously. Children test the limits of themselves and the objects during this process. The more physically and cognitively advanced the child becomes the more likely s/he is to invent new ways to use an object. This leads to use of products in ways that were not necessarily intended by the manufacturer. However, due to the innate drive of children for optimal stimulation is it possible for a child to misuse a product? Knowledge of these stages and the implications for assessing the relative risk of the product is essential for manufacturers. The authors will present examples of risk management which relies on the knowledge of children's play strategies to reduce the risk of a consumer product.