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Peloton Warning : “Stop Using Tread+ NOW” – safety regulator

US Safety Regulators tell some Peloton treadmill users to IMMEDIATELY STOP using TREAD+
Image|onepeloton.com

US Safety Regulators tell some Peloton users to IMMEDIATELY STOP using TREAD+

 

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports one death and 39 incidents involving the Peloton Tread+. The US regulator urges Tread+ users to immediately stop using their treadmill if there are children or pets at home.

Peloton Interactive has not disputed the death and has agreed that children should stay away from the machines when in use. On 17 April, Peloton claimed that the safety warning was “inaccurate and misleading” and added in their press release that the machine was “safe for members to use in their homes and comes with safety instructions and warnings to ensure its safe use“, it continued “Like all motorised exercise equipment, the Tread+ can pose hazards if the warnings and safety instructions are not followed.”

Thoughts?

No doubt you will say that the parents should be more careful and there is truth in that statement. However, this CPSC video is disturbing and clearly shows a lightweight treadmill that can drag a child underneath it. In this video the child is unattended and other accidents are through to have involved an adult running on the Tread+ at the time.

Thankfully the video shows the child is able to escape from underneath the Tread+and walk away seemingly unharmed. It could have been MUCH worse as the treadmill was rotating.

No doubt completely different products warrant similar safety notices to be made…but that is not a reason to avoid giving this warning!

Opinion

Peloton has got a PR disaster on its hands here if it is not careful.

Whilst Peloton has the funds to support a significant PR spend to defend any position it chooses to adopt, it is fighting a losing battle when children and cuddly pets get injured. If Peloton wants to go mano a manno with the latter, the cuddly pets and little kids will win EVERY time. The longer this wannabe-debacle drags on, the more the cuddly pets and cute gets get airtime. Billion-dollar NASDAQ-listed companies are neither cuddly nor cuddly…not even much-loved Apple!

To my untrained eyes, it seems that the Peloton Tread+ treadmill is too light and that it needs a better guard. Furthermore, there should be a mechanism that immediately stops the belt rotation if the machine moves from its position of installation. I would imagine that if Peloton has either an ounce of organisational common sense, care for cuddly pets & children, or thought for its reputation, it is already quietly designing an adaptation of the TREAD+.

 

 

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7 thoughts on “Peloton Warning : “Stop Using Tread+ NOW” – safety regulator”

  1. Peloton’s response is more shocking considering the price of the treadmill. Browsing through a local sports store website, this seems to be a common design for lower priced treadmills. Higher end models seem to have plastic housing around the entire treadmill. Surely, Peloton’s finances allow it to ship an addon plastic housing to all existing customers of this product.

    2. It does look purely aesthetics – making the unit look less obtrusive/low profile – I had initially thought that the slat based treadmill would need more “turning” space compared to the running mat version but photos suggest they conform quite well to the curve of the stand either side. A coving should be possible at front/back without leaving big finger trapping gaps. The sides too as little creatures like crawling into little spaces.

      On the video the child causes the treadmill to stall – high torque/current draw, low actual speed compared to energy put in or recent speed are some vectors that could be measured. The unit lifts off the ground too – so simple tip switches like you find on £10 electric heaters would also be a plan at each corner.

      Retrofit would be expensive but the units were not cheap to start with, neither is the subscription. Not to mention cost of life/injury.

      1. Software based retrofit could be need user phone in proximity with peloton app active and confirm “yes it’s me, the adult subscriber present”.

  2. In “company vs regulator/compliance” disputes, I will always bet on the regulator side to win. Everything else is a loosing proposition (but I work in medical devices, so I might be biased).

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