The following notice has been issued by the Office for Product Safety and Standards.
Product
Unbranded Twistlok Carabiners, Rope Pulleys and Swing Swivels
Type
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - Protective Wear Accessories
Country of origin
China
Product description
Twistlok carabiners, rope pulleys, and swing swivels - harness accessories supplied for use with bungee trampoline equipment.
Hazard
The products present a risk of serious injury because:
- These products are classified as Category III personal protective equipment (PPE). Failure of such equipment may expose users to serious injury or death, particularly when used for protection against risks such as falls from height.
- There has been one reported instance of mechanical failure involving a carabiner of this type, in which the turn lock sleeve spring failed to engage properly, allowing the gate to open during equipment set up. This creates a risk of unintended detachment during use, which could result in a fall from height.
- The supplier has been unable to provide a valid declaration of conformity for these products. Furthermore, the EC type examination certificates provided have been confirmed by the named notified body to be counterfeit, as the original certificates were issued to a different manufacturer and expired in 2024.
Due to the reported mechanical failure, the use of counterfeit certification, and the absence of evidence of a valid conformity assessment, the products cannot be relied upon to provide the level of protection required for Category III PPE, posing a serious risk to users.
The product does not meet the requirements of the Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on Personal Protective Equipment.
Corrective action
The products have been withdrawn from the market and recalled by Securit Ropes & Packaging Limited.
The components must not be supplied or used in applications where they form part of a safety critical connection system, including connection systems used for safety harnesses and fall arrest equipment.
Suppliers and distributors of similar CE marked components are urged to verify the authenticity of the conformity documentation accompanying those products. Any supplier that has been provided with the EU type examination certificates shown in the photographs attached to this alert should immediately withdraw the affected products from sale and recall all supplied items from their customers.
In this case, the certificates accompanying the product were found to be counterfeit, despite referencing a legitimate Notified Body. The Notified Body concerned confirmed that it did not issue the certificates.
Suppliers of similar CE marked components should:
- Verify the authenticity of the certificate directly with the issuing Notified Body where there is any doubt; and
- Check that the Notified Body/Approved Body named on the certificate is appropriately designated and acting within its scope.
To verify the designation and scope of the body, the following resources can be used:
- For EU Notified Bodies, visit the Europa website.
- For UK Conformity Assessment Bodies, visit the GOV.UK website.