KEY POINTS

  • Consumer safety regulators warned owners of the Peloton Tread+ with small kids and pets to stop using the equipment
  • Regulators said they are aware of 39 incidents involving the treadmill, including one death
  • Peloton called the warning "misleading" and said it hopes to work with regulators to "further ensure that Members are safe"

Consumer safety regulators released a video Saturday of a toddler being pulled under a Peloton Tread+ exercise machine as the agency warned consumers with small children or pets to stop using the treadmill following the reported death of a child.

The video uploaded to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) YouTube channel showed a young boy being dragged under the $4,295 treadmill after the ball he was playing with gets stuck under it.

The boy is able to free himself from the machine and get back up. It is unclear if he received any injuries from the incident.

"In light of multiple reports of children becoming entrapped, pinned, and pulled under the rear roller of the product, CPSC urges consumers with children at home to stop using the product immediately," the agency said in a statement released Saturday.

The CPSC is reportedly aware of 39 incidents involving the machine, including one death reported by Peloton last month.

According to the CPSC, the clip it released "demonstrates the hazard to children posed by the Treat+." The agency added that the Peloton Tread+ "poses serious risks to children for abrasions, fractures and death."

Peloton, in response, called the CPSC's warning "misleading" and "inaccurate" in a statement released Saturday.

"There is no reason to stop using the Tread+, as long as all warnings and safety instructions are followed," the fitness company said. "The Tread+ is not for children under 16. Peloton warns Members not to let children use the Tread+ and to keep children, pets, and objects away from the Tread+ at all times. Any owner of a treadmill – whether made by Peloton or not - should follow these warnings, as they are included in the applicable safety standards, which the Peloton Tread+ meets."

Peloton said consumers should remove the machine's Safety Key when it is not in use. But the CPSC said, "The hazard cannot be avoided simply by locking the device when not in use," citing an incident that happened while a parent was running on the treadmill.

According to Peloton, it is still open to working with the safety commission "to further ensure that Members are safe."

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Representation. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is warning owners of the Peloton Tread+ with small kids and pets to stop using the exercise machine. Pixabay