The Peloton Tread+ was recalled because adult users, children, pets, or other objects have been pulled underneath the rear end of the machine, according to the CPSC. The decision follows the death of a 6-year-old who was pulled underneath one of the treadmills. Peloton has received 72 reports of injuries to adults, children, pets, or other objects. The Peloton Tread was also recalled yesterday because of incidents in which the touch screen on the treadmill detached and fell on users, according to the CPSC. Peloton received 18 reports of the touch screen loosening on the device, and six reports of the screens detaching and causing minor injuries to users, including abrasions, minor cuts, and bruises. All the reported injuries occurred in Canada and the United Kingdom. “As an exercise enthusiast, I know how important treadmills can be to the people who use them,” the CPSC’s acting chairman, Robert Adler, said in a statement. “But I also know that those who use exercise equipment want to be sure that the only pain they might feel at the end of a workout is a sore muscle from their exertion, not a serious injury from a defective product.” These products are no longer being sold by Peloton or other distributors. If you own either of these two Peloton products, stop using the product immediately, advises CPSC and a press release from Peloton. If you own a Tread+ treadmill, you have until November 6, 2022, to contact Peloton to return the product and request a full refund; a partial refund will be available after that date. You also have the option of contacting Peloton to schedule a visit to your home to move the machine to a room that children and pets cannot access. Peloton is in the process of installing a software improvement on all Tread+ machines that will automatically lock the treadmill after use and require a passcode to unlock. Tread owners can contact Peloton for a full refund, or you can have Peloton do a free inspection and repair the machine to secure the touch screen, but the timeline for when the company will do those inspections and repairs has not yet been announced. Peloton did not respond to a request for comment about whether the company would be reimbursing members for any app subscription fees. RELATED: Why Exercise May Help Protect Against COVID-19 Complications
Reports of Injury and Death Were Known for Weeks Before Recall
The decision to recall the machines comes after CPSC announced in April that there were 39 incident reports, including the aforementioned child’s death, associated with the Tread+ model. In that press release, CPSC suggested Tread+ owners stop using the device. “CPSC staff believes the Peloton Tread+ poses serious risks to children for abrasions, fractures, and death. In light of multiple reports of children becoming entrapped, pinned, and pulled under the rear roller of the product, CPSC urges consumers with children at home to stop using the product immediately,” the press release noted. Adler explained in the statement released yesterday that the current recalls are the result of weeks of negotiations with Peloton. “CPSC faces a nearly insurmountable hurdle each and every time the agency wants to warn the public about a hazardous product,” Adler said in the statement. According to a gag order in the agency’s statutes, the CPSC is required to negotiate with companies before issuing any kind of safety warning. “No other federal health and safety agency faces this restriction, and it is plain to see how bad it is for consumers that we are so limited in how we can protect them,” Adler said. Once reports of incidents come in, CPSC needs to do investigations, analyses, and often lab tests before making a decision about pursuing a recall, says Joe Martyak, CPSC’s director of communications. “In this case, from March 18 when we first heard of the child death that happened earlier this year until now is less than two months, and we quickly acted to put out a consumer warning, unilaterally, when Peloton would not agree to it. We kept seeking a recall and reached an agreement two and half weeks after the warning.” If Peloton had not agreed to the voluntary recall of the treadmills, CPSC would have had the option to pursue a mandatory recall, which would require a court decision to enforce. This is not a common approach because the cases usually take years to settle and the consumer often loses out on any remedy in the interim, Martyak said. Peloton’s CEO, John Foley, noted in a statement today that the company should have reacted to the CPSC’s April warning more quickly. “Peloton made a mistake in our initial response to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s request that we recall the Tread+. We should have engaged more productively with them from the outset. For that, I apologize. Today’s announcement reflects our recognition that, by working closely with the CPSC, we can increase safety awareness for our Members.” RELATED: ‘I Tried the Charge Running App — and Here’s What I Thought’
What Else Do I Need to Know if I Own a Peloton Treadmill?
The most important thing: Peloton and the CPSC are telling users of both treadmills to stop using the machines immediately. Peloton has also published information about how to contact the company for a refund on its website, and additional information about the Tread and Tread+ recalls. If you own either machine and have had an incident that you have not reported, Peloton is asking users to report those incidents to the company. Safety experts urge owners of all exercise machines to pay attention to risks the equipment can pose, especially if there are children around. Exercise equipment can pose a risk to curious children who want to explore their environments, notes Benjamin Hoffman, MD, the chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Injury, Violence, and Poison Prevention. Previous research has estimated that more than 12,700 children visit U.S. emergency rooms each year with injuries related to at-home exercise equipment. Treadmills and stationary bikes account for more than half those injuries. “This equipment is heavy, can have many moving parts, and can cause serious injury or death through entrapment, strangulation, and the speed of those moving parts,” says Dr. Hoffman, who is also a professor of pediatrics at Oregon Health and Science University and the medical director at the Tom Sargent Safety Center in Portland. “It is best to have that equipment in a place where young kids cannot access it unintentionally; for example, put it behind closed doors,” he says. RELATED: 6 Quick Tips for Running Your Best Marathon
