Treadmill Accidents Can Cause Serious Injury or Death

The Atlanta lawyers of Finch McCranie LLP often see cases in which children are injured on exercise equipment such as treadmills and weight machines. The tragic death of boxer Mike Tyson’s 4-year-old daughter may seem like a freak occurrence, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that treadmills injure more children than any other type of exercise equipment.
According to CPSC figures, almost 5,500 children under age 5 were treated in emergency rooms in 2006 and 2007 for treadmill-related injuries.
While most had cuts, bruises and scrapes, primarily on the hands or fingers; one child’s injury required an amputation. Thirty-two percent had their hands caught in or on the treadmill, in some cases suffering serious friction burns.
Consumer Reports, the non-profit testing organization studied injuries from exercise equipment. The researchers noticed burns were more likely to occur with treadmills than stationary bikes and elliptical trainers. The CPSC figures show treadmills and bikes, along with stair climbers, are the home exercise devices that pose the greatest hazard to youngsters.
The Tyson tragedy does not appear to involve an operating treadmill. It has been reported that the child’s neck became entangled in the machine’s cord leading to strangulation. However there are numerous reports of hanging cords causing serious injury and death to children.
According to safety experts, parents should take these steps to prevent home exercise equipment and cord accidents:
Do not allow children on or near exercise equipment when it’s in use.
When not using a machine, unplug it or keep it in a locked room.
Do not put furniture near windows, where children could climb up to get to vertical blind cords.
Mount cords at least 5 feet above the floor if possible, where youngsters can’t reach them.
Do not tie loops in a cord, instead use a device to tie it to the sill.