Petzl America Inc., of Clearfield, Utah, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission today announced a recall of the company's Scorpio and Absorbica Shock Absorbing Lanyards. Some of the lanyards, which are used in climbing harnesses, may have a stitching fault that causes the safety devices to fail.

About 375,000 units, made in France prior to May 2011, were sold through authorized dealers in the U.S. and worldwide. According to the CPSC and Petzl, there has been one reported fall (in France) tied to the defective lanyards.

Affected models include:

Consumers should immediately stop using the lanyards and contact Petzl America Inc. (877 740-3826, www.petzl.com) for a free inspection and replacement of any non-conforming products.

RECALL ALERT for inspection of all our SCORPIO via ferrata lanyards [Petzl]
REQUEST FOR IMMEDIATE SELF-INSPECTION for all ABSORBICA energy absorbers [Petzl]
Petzl America Recalls Scorpio and Absorbica Safety Lanyards due to Fall Hazard [CPSC]