Adventure Park Insider Magazine—Salt Lake City, Sept. 13, 2024—Petzl has issued a voluntary recall of its GYM, PANDION, and PANJI harnesses due to the potential for user error, specifically donning the harness backwards and subsequently connecting to the non-weight bearing leg loop elastic band, which places the user at risk of falling from height and sustaining serious injury.
The affected products were sold from January 2019 to May 2024. Operators, resellers, and users should stop use and return the affected harness(es) for free modification.
According to Petzl: “This risk can occur when there is (1) inadequate or improper training and supervision; (2) failure to follow Petzl Instructions for Use and technical notice information; (3) failure to adhere to product warnings, including the black and white arrow pointing to the green attachment loop that reads, “ATTACH HERE”, and the bright orange left leg loop, and/or (4) failure to conduct equipment and partner checks to ensure that all equipment is correctly maintained, installed, donned and operated before and during use.”
The company received one report in the United States of a user suffering serious injuries from donning the harness backwards and connecting to the leg loop elastic band.
Petzl will rework the harnesses and replace the original leg loop elastic band with a newly designed leg loop elastic band, free of charge, including shipping.
Among the modifications, the new leg loop elastic band incorporates a sewn-in label identifying the “BACK” of the harness to assist the user in properly donning the harness, and it no longer has an adjustment function, which removes the space that was created between the bands below the adjustment buckle when the original elastic was tightened. The new leg loop elastic band does not affect the size range of the harness.
In addition, GYM, PANDION and PANJI harnesses purchased after July 24, 2024, will have a new IFU and be manufactured with the new leg loop elastic band with updated warnings, “ATTACH HERE ONLY” and “FRONT” to further indicate proper donning of the harness.
Go HERE for the full recall notice and instructions.
