In a letter to members, Peloton’s CEO said a “tragic accident” had occurred involving a child and the company’s Tread+ treadmill.
Reached for comment, the company did not say whether the incident was related to the treadmill’s design, but it did say that Peloton “designed and tested the Tread+ for use by people over the age of 16 and weighing over 48 kg.” In his letter about the incident, Foley outlined safety guidelines for using the product, namely that it be kept away from pets and children and that the Tread+ safety key be removed and safely stored post-workout. These were reiterated in the company’s statement.
“As a reminder, especially during a period when families remain at home due to the pandemic, anyone using the Tread+ should follow the safety instructions and keep children and pets away at all times,” the company told Gizmodo. “Additionally, when the Tread+ is not in use, members should continue to follow the safety instructions by storing the safety key, which keeps the Tread+ from operating, away from the Tread+ and out of reach of children.”
Foley said that Peloton was “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.” The company said that it would not be providing additional information about the incidents out of respect for the families.
While the Tread+ may be behind what the company says is a small number of injuries involving children, it’s not the first Peloton product to find itself behind reports of injury. Peloton issued a recall last year for clip-in pedals on some of its bikes, a recall that included an estimated 27,000 bikes, or 54,000 pedals. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, there were “120 consumer reports of pedal breakages, including 16 reports of leg injuries,” five of which “required medical care, such as stitches to the lower leg.”
Foley said this week that the Peloton was “assessing ways to reinforce our warnings about these critical safety precautions” for its products to avoid future injury.