Peloton reinforces warnings following death of a child in accident involving Tread+ treadmill

Peloton says a child has died because of an accident involving the company’s Tread+ treadmill.

The incident was confirmed in a note from Peloton CEO John Foley posted on the company’s website Thursday.

In a statement, Peloton said they would not share any additional information on what happened “out of respect for the family and their privacy.”

“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,” wrote Foley.

The note also offers advice for Peloton treadmill owners, including keeping kids and pets away from the treadmill at all times, and to remove the safety key and keep it out of the reach of children when not in use.

Foley said Peloton is “currently assessing ways to reinforce our warnings about these critical safety precautions to hopefully prevent future accidents.”

Last October, Peloton issued a recall on pedals for 27,000 of its bikes after consumers reported issues with pedals breaking off, causing injuries.

More consumers have turned to fitness equipment like treadmills and bikes from Peloton over the past 12 months as Americans remain stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic and gyms were either closed or open with limited hours.

According to a story on cnn.com, 25,000 kids under the age of 10 are injured by exercise equipment each year, according to a 2014 study from the US National Institutes of Health.

The specific warnings/instructions from John Foley’s website post Thursday:

• Keep children and pets away from Peloton exercise equipment at all times. Before you begin a workout, double check to make sure that the space around your Peloton exercise equipment is clear.
• When you finish a workout on your Tread+, remove the safety key and store it out of reach of children and anyone else who should not be able to start the Tread+.

Read more at usatoday.com