US Regulators warn people not to use Peloton treadmill if they have children or pets after child dies

The US safety regulator has issued an ‘urgent warning’ telling people to stop using a Peloton treadmill “immediately” if they have children or pets in their home.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Pelshared a video and a series of Tweets on Saturday, urging people to “stop using the Peloton Tread+”.

The regulator said there is a risk of pets or children becoming trapped underneath the track of the treadmill while it is running, even when it is in use.

‘Death of a child’

Peloton has criticised the CPSC’s message as being “inaccurate and misleading” but said users should make sure pets and children are kept away from the Tread+ at all times.

The agency says it is aware of around 40 incidents involving the Tread+, including the death of a child, which the company confirmed last month.

Objects, such as exercise balls, are also at risk of becoming trapped underneath the treadmill, and should be kept away, the regulator said.

In a further statement released today, the company said "The CPSC was given all of this data confidentially, and they chose to instead publish a statement that is misleading as to the number of incidents involving children.

"We have not given specific details about these incidents because we respect the privacy of our members, some of whom specifically asked us not to give details about their specific situations to the CPSC or otherwise.

"The importance of following Peloton's safety warnings and instructions is abundantly clear in the video that the CPSC included in its unilateral press release.

"In particular, Peloton instructs members to remove the safety key when the Tread+ is not in use, precisely to avoid the kind of incident that this video depicts.

"When the safety key is detached as instructed, the Tread+ cannot be turned on.

"The Tread+ includes safety warnings and instructions in several places, including in the user manual, in a safety card left on top of the Tread+ tray on delivery, and on the product itself."

‘Shock and sadness’

Peloton confirmed that 23 incidents involving children have been reported, 15 involving objects and one with a pet.

They also said that all the children who were injured, apart from the one who died have “fully recovered or are expected to do so”

Confirming the death of a child following an incident involving one of their treadmills in March, the company said: “There are no words to express the shock and sadness everyone at Peloton feels as a result of this terrible tragedy.”

“Out of respect for the family and their privacy, we won’t be sharing any additional information.”