Black Diamond Official Transceiver Voluntary Recall: CHECK YOUR BEACON
Black Diamond announced a ‘Safety Check Notice’ in April of this year to verify that the PIEPS Micro (BT Button, BT Race, BT Sensor), Powder BT, Pro BT, DSP Pro/Sport and Black Diamond Recon BT and Guide BT transceivers switch from SEND to SEARCH mode properly. Anyone who is in possession of the above-mentioned transceivers are asked to check the device using the following instructions or to contact our customer service department for support.
Transceivers to check:
PIEPS Micro BT Button
PIEPS Micro BT Race
PIEPS Micro BT Sensor
PIEPS Powder BT
PIEPS Pro BT
PIEPS DSP Pro/Sport
PIEPS DSP Ice
Black Diamond Recon BT
Black Diamond Guide BT
If you have already checked your transceiver and it was not affected by the previous Safety Check Notice, then you need not do anything further. This new announcement reflects the voluntary recall being implemented by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada. Nothing new has really happened here, it’s just an OFFICIAL Voluntary Recall with the same recommended actions as in the original notice.
Black Diamond immediately notified global regulatory bodies (including the CPSC in NA) and has been in regular communications with them since. To date there have been no incidents in the field where anyone has been hurt as a result of this issue and it has only affected a very small percentage of transceivers. This issue is not related to the PIEPS transceivers recall first discovered in 2020 and then officially issued in 2021.
As of April 28, 2022, only 0.07% of all PIEPS Powder BT, Pieps Pro BT, Pieps DSP Pro, Pieps DSP Sport, Pieps DSP Ice, Black Diamond Recon, and Black Diamond Guide transceivers sold globally have been reported with this issue. In North America the reported instances are lower, at 0.02%. Similarly, only 0.53% of all PIEPS Micro BT Button / Race / Sensor transceivers sold globally have been reported with this issue, and only 0.22% reported in North America.
For further information about Black Diamond Equipment and PIEPS’ voluntary product recall including details on how to inspect your beacon, please have your readers contact Black Diamond at 866-306-0865 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. MT Monday through Friday, or online at www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/content/beacon-notification or at www.blackdiamondequipment.com and click on "Safety Recall” at the top of the webpage for more information.
Here is the official press release:
Black Diamond Equipment Announces Voluntary Recall for PIEPS Avalanche Transceivers
SALT LAKE CITY, UT (July 28, 2022) -- Black Diamond Equipment®, a global innovator in climbing, skiing and mountain sports equipment, in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada, is voluntarily recalling its PIEPS and Black Diamond branded avalanche transceivers. Affected models include the the PIEPS Pro BT, Powder BT, DSP Sport, DSP Pro, DSP Pro Ice, Micro Button BT, Micro BT Sensor and Micro BT Race avalanche transceivers and the Black Diamond branded Recon BT and Guide BT avalanche transceivers. Black Diamond is the North American distributor for PIEPS.
This voluntary product recall follows a previous Safety Check Notice when Black Diamond first identified an issue in April. The Safety Check Notice is now an official Voluntary Recall in coordination with the CPSC and Health Canada with the same recommended actions as in the original notice.
Consumers who own one of these avalanche transceivers should immediatedly stop using and perform a safety check to verify if the device is affected. Black Diamond requests that you perform a device check (following instructions on this website) to verify that the device switchers from SEND to SEARCH mode properly. If it turns out that a mode is not working properly, the affected device should no longer be used and must be returned immediately to Black Diamond / PIEPS for service free of charge.
The reason for the voluntary recall is related to a material handling / assembly anomaly in manufacturing which results in the avalanche transceiver not being able to switch into SEARCH mode. If this were to occur in the field, the user would potentially be unable to locate a buried victim, which could result in a prolonged burial, and possible injury or death of the victim. While the severity is high, the likelihood is low, and the defect is readily detectable by users performing a standard device check.
For further information about Black Diamond Equipment and PIEPS’ voluntary product recall, contact Black Diamond at 866-306-0865 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. MT Monday through Friday, online at www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/content/beacon-notification or at www.blackdiamondequipment.com and click on "Safety Recall” at the top of the webpage for more information.
Black Diamond Equipment is a manufacturer of equipment and clothing for climbing, skiing and mountain sports. By consistently building innovative, standard-setting products and actively preserving the mountain/canyon environment, Black Diamond Equipment has assumed a leadership role in the international outdoor community. For more information on Black Diamond Equipment, visit BlackDiamondEquipment.com
