Does Peloton have a safety problem?
US safety regulators issued a warning to Peloton Tread+ customers to stop using the treadmill if you have children or pets. How safe are treadmills in the home? Is this problem unique to Peloton?
What’s the issue?
Warning: A child is hurt in this video. It’s disturbing and harrowing to watch.
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned Peloton Tread+ customers, believing the treadmill poses a serious risks to children, causing abrasions, fractures, and death. It urged Peloton members with children and pets to stop using the machines.
Even worse, a child tragically died and in a separate incident a child suffered a serious head injury. First and foremost this is a human tragedy and my thoughts go out to the family and loved ones whose lives will never be the same because of this accident.
What is Peloton doing to highlight safety?
CEO, John Foley e-mailed all Peloton Tread owners to raise awareness of safety
Peloton updated Tread firmware to include a safety code that needs to be entered before the treadmill will start, this is addition to the safety key that already exists
Peloton Tread instructors remind members at the beginning and end of each class to keep safety top of mind
Could Peloton change the design?
Peloton Tread members have been sharing their own ways to make the Tread safer. A simple fence around the Tread stops pets and young children from coming into contact with the Tread whilst its in use. Similarly, a small wooden barrier (pictured above) may prevent similar accidents.
Another additional safety measure, would be to automatically shut off the machine if the belt is obstructed.
In the CPSC video, when the child comes into contact with the belt the machine remains on. If it had an automatic shut off then perhaps the injuries could have been prevented. When the boy frees himself, he is then sucked back into the machine a second time. With some simple modifications the machine could be made safer. Of course, prevention is far better than cure.
Hypothesis: Safety concerns aren’t unique to Peloton Tread+
In my article (How important is the Peloton Tread) I compared Peloton’s Tread and Tread+ to rival treadmills with similar price points. Let’s examine the design of a few similar treadmills.
Life Fitness T3
The belt at the front and gap under the base are similar to the Peloton Tread/+ but it is a solid belt design without slats
Life Fitness safety instructors state: Children should be supervised to ensure that they do not play with the appliance
The T3 has a maximum speed of 12 mph.
Nordic Track X22i
Has a high rise off the ground and has a large gap at rear of the belt but isn’t completely open
Nordic Track safety instructors state: Never allow children on or around treadmill. Remove key when not in use.
The X22i has a maximum speed of 12 mph
Woodway Curve Trainer (most similar to the Tread)
The Woodway isn’t motorised but the design of the belt with slats is similar to the Peloton Tread
Woodway safety instructions state: Never leave children unsupervised when on or near the treadmill
There isn’t a maximum speed because it depends on the person using it
There is an inherent danger to all fitness equipment and all competitors point out the need to keep children away at all times.
Some go further, pointing out that users should remove the safety key and/or remove the power cord when not in use.
Peloton Tread+
Peloton safety instructions state: Keep children and animals away from the Tread+. Unplug the Tread+ and remove the safety key when it is not in use. Always store the safety key away from the Tread+ and out of reach of children
Peloton Tread has a maximum speed of 12.5 mph
How dangerous are treadmills?
In 2015, Dave Goldberg, CEO of SurveyMonkey was tragically killed when he is thought to have fallen from a treadmill, hitting his head. He later died in hospital. Equally devastating was the news in 2009 of Mike Tyson’s four year old daughter, Exodus who died after an accident in which she became tangled in a cord as she played on a treadmill at her home.
There were an estimated 22,500 treadmill-related injuries treated at US emergency departments among all ages, including around 2,000 involving children under the age of eight, according to the CPSC in 2020.
Between 2018 and 2020, it received reports of 17 deaths related to the use of a treadmill, including one involving a 5-year-old.
Specific to the Peloton Tread, to date, CPSC is aware of 39 incidents including one death. Thankfully these incidents are incredibly rare.
A lesson in crisis management
In 2016, I was working for Samsung, in its European office when the company issued a full product recall of the Galaxy Note series. Some of the smartphones had a fault with the battery, causing the phone to catch fire. Samsung found just 35 cases of fire worldwide, but decided to recall the 2.5 million of devices already sold. No deaths or serious injury were reported, but that’s arguably because of the action Samsung took. In contrast, Peloton has decided against a full product recall, standing firm that the product is safe when used appropriately.
Based on my survey of Peloton members in January 2021, 11% of members have a Tread. Now my sample size was low, with a confidence interval of 15%, so the numbers should be treated with caution. That would mean there are a maximum 184,000 Treads in circulation, based on my 11% assumption.
Other estimates suggest a more conservative number of 83,000 Treads sold or around 5% of the customer base.
Objects can be drawn into the Tread
In a different video to one issued by the CPSC, a Peloton member is seen exercising with a toddler near by. An exercise ball is sucked under the Tread and explodes. What’s interesting is the exercise ball is common in both videos.
Another common element is parents having the Tread in a child’s playroom. It suggests parents don’t see the danger and highlights the need for Peloton to do more to address the dangers.
How likely is a full product recall and what might it cost?
Peloton is unlikely to reverse its initial assessment of the situation. It has so far brushed off the CPSC warnings, but hopefully members are more aware of the dangers and this will lower the risk. If more accidents occur, let’s examine the impact of a full product recall. Peloton will likely be insured against the following costs:
Recall costs - costs include the cost of transporting, storing and disposing of the recalled product
Loss of gross profits - reduction to sales due to the product recall
Product rehabilitation - the cost of re-establishing the pre-recall sales level
Crisis management - The insurer may designate a crisis management consultant to assist in the handling of the recall
It won’t be insured against the biggest impact, the damage to its brand.
Peloton has already been sued over the Tread and if the number of claimants grow a recall might become more likely.
Summary
CPCS urged Peloton members with children and pets to stop using the Tread
Peloton has already made some product improvements to make the Tread safer
There are further improvements Peloton could make e.g. auto shutdown if there are obstructions
Safety concerns aren’t unique to Peloton Tread+, other manufacturers warn of the risks
Treadmills can cause death with some high profiles incidents in recent years
Peloton will be insured against some of the costs of a product recall but not the brand reputational risk