Petzl America Climbing Harnesses Recalled Over Fall Hazard
Product Recalls - May 24, 2026
Petzl America Issues Recall for ASTRO BOD FAST, ASTRO SIT FAST and CANYON GUIDE Harnesses Due to Risk of Injury or Death from Falling
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (May 24, 2026) – Petzl America Climbing Harnesses have been recalled because they can pose a major fall hazard.
The recall was issued on May 14, 2026. Roughly 29,000 units were sold prior to the recall.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the D-ring on the recalled harnesses can inadvertently release. This creates a major risk that the user may fall to their death or be seriously injured.
No injuries have been reported at this time. The harnesses were originally manufactured in Romania and Malaysia.
A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.
Liability for Accidents Involving Safety Harnesses
Many people are injured in rock climbing accidents every year. According to one study in Science Direct, “The risk of outdoor climbing, however, is much greater, with a case-fatality ratio of 6%.1, 5 Bouldering (free climbing without any ropes), sport climbing (ropes with permanently fixed safety devices), and traditional climbing (temporary fixed protection placed by the climber) all can have acute injuries related to ground falls.” Companies that manufacture climbing harnesses should take a number of measures to ensure that they are safe.
- Companies should ensure that all of their products are routinely tested and stress-tested in less than ideal settings.
- Companies should ensure harnesses are made up of high-quality materials that are not likely to fail.
- Companies should abide by all safety standards and ensure that they warn users about foreseeable risks of harm.
Depending on the facts of any case, a company that manufactured a safety harness could be liable if someone is injured by that product. What matters is whether or not the product in question was defective in some way. A product can be considered defective if it is likely to malfunction during normal use. Product liability claims based on negligence will typically fall into one of three categories.
- Design Defects: These types of defects are inherent to a product and exist before the manufacturing process. Courts will take into consideration the utility of the product when determining whether or not it is defective.
- Manufacturing Defects: Manufacturing defects occur as a product is being made. These types of defects tend to affect only a limited number of the units produced.
- Marketing Defects: A product may have marketing defects if it lacks clear instructions or fails to warn the user about latent dangers.
If a safety harness is likely to break during normal use, this could easily form the basis of a product liability claim. Unfortunately, companies will virtually never accept responsibility if one of their products causes someone to be injured. Any person injured by a defective product is able to seek some measure of accountability through a personal injury claim. Damages in a civil claim can help cover lost wages, medical bills, and pain and suffering.
Getting Legal Help for Injuries Involving Defective Products
We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates were very concerned to hear about the safety issues with the Petzl America Climbing Harnesses. It is our sincere hope that all of the affected products will be recalled before any person is seriously injured or killed. Rock climbing is already dangerous in and of itself. It is unacceptable that something as critical as a safety harness would have such a flaw.
Have you or a loved one been injured in an accident involving a defective consumer product? You may be entitled to financial compensation. Our team of personal injury attorneys is here to assist you. We care deeply that accident victims get the medical and financial support that they need to recover. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.
