Petzl Harness Recall

"The recalled harness can be put on backwards and the rope or carabiner can be attached to a non-weight-bearing leg loop elastic band, placing the user at risk of falling from height and sustaining serious injury, including paraplegia or death."

I'm saddened to hear that there was an accident involving this issue. But if you're considering clipping into your leg loop keeper straps for safety...maybe consider a different hobby...

https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2024/Petzl-America-Recalls-GYM-PANDION-and-PANJI-Climbing-Harnesses-Due-to-Fall-Hazard

I’m having trouble visualizing the “defect”. Looking at this harness it seems like there is only one place to clip/tie in?

From the wording of the recall, it seems any harness would be subject to recall, i.e, clipping into a gear loop, or anything else except the tie-ins and belay loop?

Can’t all harnesses be put on backwards if you really, really try? Is this harness unique in some way that makes it especially vulnerable to this mistake? And clipping in to elastic bands…??? Good God, what is the climbing world coming to?

EDIT: Where is the info about the accident that apparently caused the recall? That should be an interesting read. 

Daniel Joder wrote:

Can’t all harnesses be put on backwards if you really, really try? Is this harness unique in some way that makes it especially vulnerable to this mistake? And clipping in to elastic bands…??? Good God, what is the climbing world coming to?

EDIT: Where is the info about the accident that apparently caused the recall? That should be an interesting read. 

https://gearjunkie.com/climbing/petzl-harness-recall-2024

No real discussion of what happened, but it's not hard to imagine what happens if you whip or even get lowered on an elastic leg loop...I hope it wasn't some poor little kid!

When you look at the recalled items, they're all harnesses with the gym-tastic one-piece clip-loop. They literally say "Attach Here" with a big fat arrow.

Andy Bennett wrote:

...

When you look at the recalled items, they're all harnesses with the gym-tastic one-piece clip-loop. They literally say "Attach Here" with a big fat arrow.

That gym-tastic one-piece clip-loop does feel like a design that diverges from the standard clip-in loop you find on most harnesses. 

It's still an user error, but perhaps you could make an argument in court that the design might not sufficiently prevent that error? Dunno, I guess there's a court case and Petzl is issuing recall to show due diligence here?