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April 18th, 2009, 01:21 GMT · By

CPSC Issues Warning on Exploding Fitness Balls

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Some fitness balls can explode if too much air is pumped into them, the CPSC warns
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The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a warning saying that some fitness balls can explode, causing the user bruises, contusions and even fractures from hitting the floor. Such balls produced by EB Brands are now being recalled and replaced following a series of incidents caused by their exploding, the warning also says.

Fitness balls are ideal for a series of exercises, being used for workouts such as Pilates and weight training, with the users balancing on them while doing them. The balls produced by EB Brands, some of which have exploded while being used, are not being pulled off the market though, the manufacturer says. The issue is not that the balls are not good, but rather that they turn defective when they’re over-inflated, the manufacturer further explains.

“EB Brands has received 47 reports of fitness balls unexpectedly bursting, including reports of a fracture, and multiple bruises.” the CPSC warning says. The manufacturer has voluntarily offered to recall the products and have them replaced but, as noted above, that does not mean it will no longer be on the market. Instead, EB Brands also warns customers not to over-inflate the balls, while also paying more attention to the extra warning sign added on the product.

“The product is not faulty; it was not found to be defective.” Brian Anderson, president of the fitness division of EB Brands, says for the Health Blog. “EB Brands says it’s warning consumers not to put too much air into them, and it’s adding a new sticker inside the product box and on the inflation pump to the same effect. It’s also revising its inflation instructions in the package, and it’s giving away measuring tape of lengths specific to the correct inflation sizes.” the Health Blog further explains the methods taken to ensure such incidents no longer occur.

The bottom line is that fitness balls, just like any other gym equipment, come with a set of specifications and instructions, which must be followed accordingly. Pumping too much air can cause them to explode when pressure is applied, which is why users are urged to pay due attention to avoid accidents. 

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READER COMMENTS:


Comment #1 by: Aaron Walker on 20 Apr 2009, 20:52 UTC reply to this comment

I think that one thing people should make sure to understand -- and it's not being reported -- is that EB Brands actually approached the CPSC to find a way to better inform users of overinflation.

The term "product recall" is misleading, as no EB Brand balls will be removed from shelves. Below is the official statement from the company regarding the CPSC announcement:

“Today the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and EB Brands have issued a joint press release announcing a voluntary product recall regarding fitness balls produced by EB Brands. The purpose of this statement is to share some additional details not provided in the press release.

Since 2000, EB Brands has received 47 complaints of burst balls out of its 3 million fitness balls sold in the United States. After conducting research on the product, we concluded that bursting balls are likely caused by the consumer overinflating the ball before use. Even with a complaint rate of only 0.0016%, we voluntarily approached the CPSC in late 2008 to seek their advice and guidance.

The CPSC agreed with our findings and together we worked out a plan to warn consumers about the risk of overinflation and to help consumers inflate fitness balls to the proper size.

No product will be removed from retail shelves or pulled from the marketplace, as the CPSC did not recommend or require EB Brands or our retail partners to do so.

To ensure the safety of EB Brands customers, the following actions have been taken:

*Create and place a new sticker inside the product box and on the pump cautioning consumers about the risk of overinflation
*Revise inflation instructions included in the product package
*Make available a measuring tape for consumers to measure the size of inflated fitness balls - available by calling EB Brands or logging onto www.ebbrands.com
*Offer replacement balls or refunds to consumers whose balls have burst
*Distribute a letter and informational poster to each retailer that has carried EB Brand fitness balls

EB Brands takes the safety of our consumers seriously. We anticipate that these changes will further ensure the safe and effective use of inflatable fitness balls.”

Comment #1.1 by: Elena Gorgan on 21 Apr 2009, 07:09 GMT

Hello, Aaron Walker. Yes, the EB Brands balls are not being pulled off the market, as I did note in the article to avoid misunderstandings. This is also why I stressed the importance that users read the instructions carefully and not pump too much air in the ball. Nevertheless, thank you for the excerpts from the statement – they should definitely avoid all misunderstanding.

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