Recall: Harbinger Fitness ab straps—fall hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 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: Ab Straps exercise equipment

Units: About 4,169

Importer: Harbinger Fitness, of Fairfield, Calif.

Hazard: The plastic buckle on the ab straps can break, posing a fall hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: There were two reported incidents of straps breaking. Both incidents resulted in lacerations to consumers' heads and necks.

Description: The recalled product is a set of Harbinger Ab Straps, style 371100 that are hung from an overhead structure. The product consists of two 17.5 inch long straps made of black nylon webbing with padded nylon arm slings and plastic buckles. Users place their arms in the slings to lift themselves to do abdominal exercises. The word "Harbinger" appears on the outer side of one ab strap. Universal Product Code (UPC) 000751510964 is on the bottom flap of the packaging of the affected ab straps. The style number does not appear on the product or the product's packaging.

Sold: Online at Bodybuilding.com and Amazon.com, and at Second Wind Fitness, Play It Again Sports, Advantis Nutrition, and other general sporting goods and fitness specialty stores nationwide from August 2006 to April 2011 for about $20.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the product and contact Harbinger for a free replacement.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, please contact Harbinger customer service at (800) 729-5954 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT Monday through Thursday, and 7 a.m. to noon PT on Friday, visit the firm's website at www.harbingerfitness.com (pdf) or e-mail the firm at custserv@harbingerfitness.com.