The US government issued an urgent warning on Saturday, telling consumers not to use Peloton Tread + after “dozens of incidents in which children were sucked under the treadmill.
The warning came a month after the New York-based exercise equipment company, with an almost cultured customer base, acknowledged that a child had died in an incident involving a treadmill.
Peloton CEO John Foley called the incident “tragic” and said the company was “aware of only a handful of incidents involving Tread + in which children were injured”.
But the Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Saturday it was aware of 39 incidents, including death.
“CPSC staff believe that Peloton Tread + poses serious risks to children from abrasions, fractures and death,” the agency said in a warning. posted on Twitter and its website. “Given the numerous reports of children being caught, caught and dragged under the back roll of the product, CPSC urges consumers with children at home to stop using the product immediately.”
The statement included a horrific video showing two small children playing on a treadmill, one being pulled under the car while trying to play with a ball that was caught under it.
A separate report that a pet is sucked under Tread +, along with inanimate objects that are pulled under it, “also suggests possible harm to the user if the user loses his or her balance,” CPSC said.
Consumers who intend to continue using the cars should keep them in a locked room away from children and pets, unplug them when not in use, and keep all other items away from them, CPSC said. .
In a statement, Peloton called the CPSC’s guidelines a “misleading and inaccurate bulletin” and said the agency “unfairly characterized Peloton’s efforts to collaborate and correct inaccuracies in the CPSC press release as an attempt to delay ”.
“This could not be further from the truth,” the statement said, adding that it wants to make a joint announcement with CPSC “about the danger of not following the safety warnings and instructions provided with Tread +” and the CEO. asked to meet with the agency.
“Peloton is disappointed that, despite its collaborative offerings and the fact that Tread + meets all applicable safety standards, CPSC was unwilling to engage in meaningful discussions with Peloton before issuing its inaccurate and misleading press release. . ”
Peloton remains open to working with the CPSC, but noted that “there is no reason not to use Tread + as long as all safety warnings and instructions are followed.”