CPSC Warns Consumers: Stop Using the Peloton Tread+ | CPSC.gov

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CPSC Warns Consumers: Stop Using the Peloton Tread+

93 Release date: April 17, 2021 Release number: 21-113

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Peloton Interactive, Inc’s Tread+ Treadmill

Urgent Warning Comes After Agency Finds One Death and Dozens of Incidents of Children Being Sucked Beneath the Tread+ (Formerly Known as the Tread)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is warning consumers about the danger of popular Peloton Tread+ exercise machine after multiple incidents of small children and a pet being injured beneath the machines. The Commission has found that the public health and safety requires this notice to warn the public quickly of the hazard.

The urgent warning comes less than a month after Peloton itself released news of a child’s death by a Peloton Tread+ and CPSC’s announcement of an investigation into that incident.

The agency is continuing to investigate all known incidents of injury or death related to the Peloton Tread+.

To date, CPSC is aware of 39 incidents including one death. CPSC staff believes the Peloton Tread+ poses serious risks to children for abrasions, fractures, and death. 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. This video demonstrates the hazard to children posed by the Tread+. [Warning, video content may be disturbing to some viewers.]It is believed that at least one incident occurred while a parent was running on the treadmill, suggesting that the hazard cannot be avoided simply by locking the device when not in use. Reports of a pet and objects being sucked beneath the Tread+ also suggest possible harm to the user if the user loses balance as a result.

What should consumers do now?

• Stop using the Peloton Tread+ if there are small children or pets at home. Incidents suggest that children may be seriously injured while the Tread+ is being used by an adult, not just when a child has unsupervised access to the machine.
• If consumers must continue to use the product, CPSC urges consumers to use the product only in a locked room, to prevent access to children and pets while the treadmill is in use. Keep all objects, including exercise balls and other equipment, away from the treadmill.
• When not in use, unplug the Tread+ and store the safety key away from the device and out of reach of children.
• Report any Peloton Tread+ incidents to CPSC at www.SaferProducts.gov or to CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772.

Tread+ treadmills are sold directly to consumers via retail showrooms, and online at http://www.onepeloton.com.

Model No. TR-01 was called “Tread” from August 2018 to September 2020, when it was renamed “Tread+”.

Link to broadcast quality video for media: https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/blKOH6LRIk

For media questions, please email: jmartyak@cpsc.govorpdavis@cpsc.gov.

Under section 6(b) of the Consumer Product Safety Act, CPSC is required to include with this press release any comments or other information or a summary thereof. Accordingly, here is a summary of the company’s statement.

“The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s unilateral press release about the Peloton Tread+ treadmill is inaccurate and misleading. The Tread+ is safe for Members to use in their homes and comes with safety instructions and warnings to ensure its safe use. Like all motorized exercise equipment, the Tread+ can pose hazards if the warnings and safety instructions are not followed. 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.”About the U.S. CPSC

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC’s work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 40 years.

Federal law bars any person from selling products subject to a publicly announced voluntary recall by a manufacturer or a mandatory recall ordered by the Commission.

For lifesaving information:

• Visit CPSC.gov.
• Sign up to receive our e-mail alerts.
• Follow us on Facebook, Instagram @USCPSC and Twitter @USCPSC.
• Report a dangerous product or a product-related injury on www.SaferProducts.gov.
• Call CPSC’s Hotline at 800-638-2772 (TTY 301-595-7054).
• Contact a media specialist.

Media Contact

Please use the below phone number for all media requests.

Phone: (301) 504-7908
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U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission 4330 East West Highway Bethesda, MD 20814 CPSC.gov is an official website of the United States government. Contact Us: 800-638-2772 (TTY 800-638-8270) Toll Free Consumer Hotline | Time: 8 a.m. – 5.30. p.m. ET Website Feedback

https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2021/CPSC-Warns-Consumers-Stop-Using-the-Peloton-Tread

To date, 39 incidences including one death…The CPSC is warning consumers about the dangers of the popular Peloton Tread+exercise machine, multiple incidences of small children and pets being injured beneath the machines.

Stop Using the Peloton Tread+ pic.twitter.com/afRBom78qo

— US Consumer Product Safety Commission (@USCPSC) April 17, 2021

Woodpecker Sounds of the U.S.: Drumming, Calls, and More

Bird Calls Black-and-White Warbler, Dennis W. Donohue/Shutterstock

Melissa Mayntz

Birds make many amazing sounds, from trills and warbles to screeches, hoots, and quacks. While not exactly considered the virtuosos of the bird world, woodpeckers do make many incredible noises, vocal and otherwise. Understanding the sounds woodpeckers make can give birders interesting insights into these beautiful birds and how they communicate.

Black-backed Woodpecker. Video by Justin Hoffman/Outdoors

A Feathered Drumline

The most famous and familiar woodpecker sounds aren’t songs or calls, but drumming, which is also called rapping, tatting, and tattooing. Woodpeckers peck on objects to create sound patterns as communication. Resonant objects such as hollow trees, logs, and stumps are favored for drumming because their resonance increases the strength and volume of the drumming so it can be heard further away. Other objects that make popular woodpecker drumheads include:

• utility poles and transformer boxes
• metal chimneys and attic exhaust vents
• rain gutters and downspouts
• trash cans
• exterior light covers.

Pileated Woodpecker by Jesse Seniunas/Shutterstock

The tempo, rhythm, duration, and repetition of drumming patterns vary between different woodpecker species. Because these patterns can be very distinct, they can sometimes be used for species identification. In a particular area, birders can learn to decipher which woodpeckers are nearby just by hearing drumming patterns. But individual woodpeckers can tap and drum at different speeds and volumes, and sound travels differently depending upon weather and distance, so this takes practice!

Drumming means a lot more than just identification to the birds, however. A strong, vibrant drumming pattern indicates a healthy, dominant bird, one that controls a rich territory or would make a good mate.

Both male and female woodpeckers drum, most often in late winter or early spring when they are more actively seeking mates and establishing territories. Drumming is common in the morning, but woodpeckers may drum at any time of day.

“Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus sanctorum)” xeno-canto Richard E. Webster Audio Player00:0000:00 1. “Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus sanctorum)” — Richard E. Webster 0:32 2. “Red-breasted Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus ruber)” — bowtyler 0:08 3. “Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)” — Chris Parrish 0:12 4. “Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)” — Sunny Tseng 0:08 5. “Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus)” — David Darrell-Lambert 0:07 6. “Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus)” — Andrew Spencer 2:20

Other Woodpecker Sounds

Woodpecker calls, even if they are composed of a variety of notes and cadences, lack distinct melodies, and are not considered “songs” in the same sense as those sung by warblers, cardinals, or mockingbirds. Nevertheless, woodpecker sounds can be just as varied and distinctive as other birds’ songs and calls.

Calls may signal alarm, show agitation, or send a signal to a mate. Woodpeckers may not be as vocally adept as other species, but they do use churrs, purrs, rattles, chatters, screeches, and other short sounds, such as “peek” and “pik” notes.

“Red-shafted” Northern Flicker by Tim Zurowski/Shutterstock

Like drumming, the tempo, length, tone, and rhythm of woodpecker calls vary widely between species. Larger birds, like the tremendous Pileated Woodpecker, have deeper, more robust voices, while smaller species, such as the diminutive Downy Woodpecker, have brighter, lighter voices and higher tones. The Northern Flicker is one of the most vocal of the North American woodpeckers, uttering a laugh-like “ha-ha-ha-ha” call, soft screeching begging calls, and “kreee” or “kwirr” calls.

“Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)” xeno-canto J.R. Rigby Audio Player00:0000:00 1. “Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)” — J.R. Rigby 0:22 2. “Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus)” — Ross Gallardy 0:11 3. “Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus auratus)” — Russ Wigh 0:09 4. “Downy Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens)” — Thomas Magarian 0:40 5. “Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)” — Ross Gallardy 0:14 6. “White-headed Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus albolarvatus)” — Thomas Magarian 1:06

Using Woodpecker Sounds

People enjoying the outdoors may simply appreciate the symphony of woodpecker sounds, but those sounds can also be useful for bird identification and so much more. Learning the precise rhythms, tempos, and durations of drumming and calls can help pinpoint which woodpeckers are around. Furthermore, even if the sounds aren’t precise enough for a positive identification, they can be useful to help triangulate a bird’s location for a closer look. The type of sound, such as a relaxed call note compared to an alarmed chattering, may also help explain the bird’s behavior and alert birders to other activity in the area.

Hairy Woodpecker by female_rck_953/Shutterstock

Protecting Woodpecker Sounds

The more we learn about woodpeckers and their sounds, the more we can appreciate these birds’ diversity and distinctiveness. But without protection, it is possible that the drumming, chatters, laughs, and churring may be heard less and less.

American Bird Conservancy is working diligently to protect woodpeckers’ habitats and to promote initiatives that can protect these birds. While many woodpeckers have healthy, even thriving, populations, increased habitat loss and pesticide use have put others at risk. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker, for example, likely went extinct following widespread habitat loss and shooting in the southeastern United States.

Species with limited ranges and specialized habitat requirements, such as the Lewis’s, Red-cockaded, and White-headed Woodpeckers, especially benefit from targeted conservation efforts. These efforts include best practices for land management with birds in mind, increased awareness of the importance of forest conservation, and direct protection of the most critical areas of habitats.

With your help, woodpeckers can continue to make their varied sounds for generations to come.

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Melissa Mayntz is a birder and a writer, naturally writing about birds. Her work has appeared in National Wildlife magazine, WildBird, Bird Watcher’s Digest online, and other publications. She is the author of Migration: Exploring the Remarkable Journeys of Birds (Quadrille Publishing, 2020).

https://abcbirds.org/blog20/woodpecker-sounds/