Snowpulse Avalanche Airbags Recall
If you own a Snowpulse Airbag have a read below as it seems some of their older cartridges are being recalled. The first part is from Snowpulse and the second from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada.
The Snowpulse cartridges for the “Inflation System 1.0” have a defective pressure gauge and must be replaced. Cartridges from the current 2011/12 winter season as well as all Mammut airbag products are not affected by this recall.
On July 1, 2011, Mammut Sports Group AG acquired the Swiss avalanche airbag specialists Snowpulse AG. In the meantime, that company’s production and quality processes have been analyzed and brought up to the level of Mammut’s own quality standards. In the process, it was found that the measures Snowpulse AG had previously taken to assure quality with respect to this problem did not meet Mammut’s high standards.
The Snowpulse cartridges (also called cylinders) are equipped with a pressure gauge, also known as a manometer. For some Snowpulse cartridges, after a certain amount of time a critical defect can appear. In these cartridges, this pressure gauge has developed a leak over time that leads to a drop in air pressure and sometimes to all the air escaping. This can mean that the airbag blows up only insufficiently or not at all. To completely rule out the possibility of this risk occurring, Mammut Sports Group AG has decided to immediately recall and replace all Snowpulse cartridges that were sold of the first generation (Inflation System 1.0).
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.
Name of Product: Snowpulse Avalanche Airbags
Units: About 1,200 in the United States and 2,600 in Canada
Importer: Mammut Sports Group Inc., of Shelburne, Vt.
Manufacturer: Snowpulse SA, of Martigny, Switzerland
Distributor: Mountain Sports Distribution, of Golden British Columbia, Canada
Hazard: A leak in the airbag's cartridge can result in the airbag not deploying, posing a risk of death and injury in the event of an avalanche.
Description: This recall involves Snowpulse Avalanche airbags with inflation-system 1.0 air cartridges. The airbags are used for skiing, snowmobiling and mountain climbing to help keep the user above the surface if an avalanche occurs. Model year 2008 to 2010 airbag cartridges are included in this recall. The packs are between 15 and 45 liters and have the "Snowpulse" logo printed on them. The metal cartridge is inside the pack and unscrews from the airbag. Cartridges using inflation system 1.0 gauges can be identified by the pin inside the threaded fitting on the side of the cartridge. If this gauge does not have an "A" or a "B" on the dial then it is included in the recall.
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled airbags and contact Snowpulse for a replacement cartridge.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Snowpulse at (800) 451-5127 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday