The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has warned parents against using the Peloton Tread+ after an accident with the workout machine resulted in one child’s death. But exactly how dangerous is the treadmill and what, if anything, can users do to keep small children and their pets safe? Here’s everything parents need to know about the accident and subsequent warning.
What Happened?
On Saturday, the CPSC warned anyone with pets or small children at home to “immediately” stop using the Peloton Tread+, claiming the treadmill posed serious risks of abrasions, fractures, and death. The warning comes roughly a month after Peloton CEO John Foley publicly acknowledged a child had died in an accident involving the Tread+.
Neither Peloton nor the CPSC have gone into detail about the Tread+ accident that resulted in a child’s death. Foley initially alerted Peloton customers to the death in a March statement urging Tread+ users to follow all safety warnings and instructions each and every time they use the machine. “I recently learned about a tragic accident involving a child and the Tread+, resulting in, unthinkably, a death,” Foley wrote in March. “While we are aware of only a small handful of incidents involving the Tread+ where children have been hurt, each one is devastating to all of us at Peloton, and our hearts go out to the families involved.”
Over the weekend, Peloton expanded on its original alert to say, “a child died while using the Tread+.” It remains unknown, however, how old the child was or what injuries they sustained that ultimately resulted in their death.
The CPSC Says The Treadmill “Poses Serious Risks”
The CPSC has warned anyone with small children or pets at home to stop using the Peloton Tread+, noting there have been multiple reports of children becoming “entrapped, pinned, and pulled under the rear roller” of the machine. At least one incident occurred while a parent was running on the treadmill, the CPSC said. Pets and other objects have also been reported to have been “sucked” under the Tread+, according to the federal agency.
“CPSC is aware of 39 incidents including one death,” the warning noted. “CPSC staff believes the Peloton Tread+ poses serious risks to children for abrasions, fractures, and death.”
Along with the warning, the consumer safety agency also released a video showing how children can get pulled under the Tread+. In the video, two children can be seen playing on and around a Tread+. As one child walks on the moving belt of the Tread+, another child touches a large plastic ball to the rear of the belt resulting in the ball and the child’s hands being pulled down under the belt. Although the child is initially able to free their hands they are quickly pulled back farther under the belt of the still-running treadmill after touching the ball again. After being pinned under the machine for a few seconds, the child frees themselves and walks away.
While the video depicted children’s unsupervised use of the Tread+, CPSC has warned that incident reports suggest children may also be seriously injured while an adult in using the machine. “It is believed that at least one incident occurred while a parent was running on the treadmill, suggesting that the hazard cannot be avoided simply by locking the device when not in use,” the agency said in its warning.
How Peloton Is Responding
Peloton pushed back on the CPSC’s warning over the weekend, issuing its own statement in which the company claimed the federal agency’s message as “inaccurate and misleading.” The exercise company said it had reached out to the CPSC but that the agency “was unwilling to engage in any meaningful discussions” and later characterized Peloton’s outreach as a delay tactic.
“This could not be farther from the truth,” Peloton said. “The company already urged Members to follow all warnings and safety instructions.”
Peloton has also maintained its Tread+ complies with all applicable safety standards.
What Should Parents Do?
While CPSC has urged parents to stop using the Peloton Tread+, completely giving up the machine doesn’t appear to be the only safe option out there. “There is no reason to stop using the Tread+, as long as all warnings and safety instructions are followed,” Peloton said in a statement issued over the weekend. The CPSC has also outlined a few different safety measures users can undertake to prevent accidents and injuries.
The key to safely cohabitating with pets, small children and the Peloton Tread+ appears to be using and storing the machine away from children and pets. CPSC has urged parents who own a Tread+ to only use it in a locked room, thus ensuring children and pets cannot come into contact with the machine while it is on. The agency has also recommended unplugging the machine when it is not in use.
Both Peloton and CPSC have urged parents to always disconnect the safety key, which must be connected to the Tread+ in order for the treadmill to operate, from the machine after use to prevent children or pets from being able to purposefully or accidentally turn the Tread+ on. Additionally, they recommend storing the safety key separate from the machine and well out of children’s reach. Peloton has also said that children under the age of 16 should never use the Tread+ and that children, pets, and other small objects should be kept away from the Tread+ at all times.
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