Black Diamond AvaLung Recall — Limited Portion of 2010 Backpacks

Editor’s note: Some product recalls are kept on the down low so as not to generate bad PR for the company in question. But an AvaLung recall probably would have been media shouted no matter what. So kudos to BD for working with a variety of media folks to get the word out in bold print this morning, accurately. Thus, below I re-print their announcement and provide links to their recall website and PDF document. Oh, and my take? Read carefully; if your ‘Lung backpack falls under the parameters of the recall (based on a number you’ll find inside the pack) send it in. But know this is NOT all AvaLungs, only certain manufacturing runs clarified in BD’s recall document and on their website. BD’s document says the replacement will happen in March, so I’m assuming that means those of you whose packs do have the PO numbers dictating replacement will be without an AvaLung for 8 to 12 weeks. That’s a big downside of course, so please let us know via the comments if you do have a backpack that falls under the parameters of the recall, and how you’ll be dealing with that as a consumer.

December 14, 2010 (Salt Lake City, Utah) – Black Diamond Equipment, a leading global climbing and freeride ski brand, is making a voluntarily announced recall of a limited portion of 2010 Black Diamond AvaLung Packs because of a possibility that the intake tubing may crack under cold temperatures.

AvaLung recall document page, see links above and below for complete document if you need it. Click image to enlarge.

“While we have not experienced a single safety issue related to this recall, we are aggressively pursuing the return of all potentially affected units,” explains Peter Metcalf, Black Diamond Equipment CEO. “The AvaLung has saved multiple lives over the years and we cannot accept a hint of doubt in its ability to perform when needed.”

The recall pertains to a limited manufacturing run of Black Diamond AvaLung Packs produced in 2010, which can be identified by a PO number and model combination presented on the Black Diamond website.

Any AvaLung Pack that falls within the announced criteria is part of the recall and contains and AvaLung unit that should be immediately returned to Black Diamond Equipment for inspection and/or replacement. Not all AvaLung Packs from these PO numbers have a faulty AvaLung unit, but this determination must be made in-house.

Instructions to identify AvaLung Pack PO numbers are available at www.BlackDiamondEquipment.com/AvaLungRecall. After determining that a 2010 AvaLung Pack has one of these PO numbers, Black Diamond requests that consumers:
a) Print out the required return form from www.BlackDiamondEquipment.com/AvaLungRecall (or the PDF linked at the bottom of this blog post.)
b) Remove the AvaLung unit from your pack and return it to Black Diamond for inspection (see site for detailed video explanation)
c) Or, if do not wish to remove the AvaLung unit yourself, return the entire pack to Black Diamond to have the AvaLung unit inspected.

“We at Black Diamond apologize both for the inconvenience and the resource footprint of this recall,” says Nathan Kuder, Black Diamond’s Softgoods Category Director. “The mere possibility that the AvaLung could potentially fail makes this an easy decision for us. Because the AvaLung plays an important role in avalanche protocol we want this recall effort to be 100% successful.”

For help identifying potentially affected 2010 AvaLung Packs, return instructions or questions on the status of a replacement, please contact Black Diamond at  (801) 278-5533 
Avalung Recall PDF Document

Press release at Pitch Engine