EuroWire, DUBLIN: Ireland’s Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has warned consumers and professional users to stop using selected Petzl climbing and rope-access products after identifying fall hazards in two separate safety notices issued on March 19. The regulator said about 301 items in the Republic of Ireland are covered across the actions, including 297 Astro harnesses and four NOMIC ice axes. The notices concern equipment used in rope access, ice climbing and technical climbing, with the reported defects carrying a risk of serious injury or death if affected products fail during use.
The larger action involves Petzl Astro rope-access harnesses manufactured before October 2023. The CCPC said screws on the gated ventral attachment point can wear prematurely when the harness is exposed to high lateral stress, allowing the ventral D-ring pin to release and the attachment point to open. It identified the affected products as Astro Bod Fast European and International versions and Astro Sit Fast units with serial numbers below 23J 9999999 999, and said users should immediately stop using them and check whether their equipment falls within the notice.
Petzl’s related safety alert, dated February 23, said the issue emerged after user feedback and involves a non-conformity that could not be detected by the test required in its earlier 2023 call for inspection covering Astro and Canyon Guide harnesses. The company said the latest versions of Astro and Astro Sit sold since February 2025 are not affected. In Ireland, the CCPC said even harnesses that previously passed the 2023 inspection and were marked with a green sticker still require the replacement action described in the updated safety notice.
Harness notice covers most units
The Irish regulator directed customers to Petzl’s replacement program for the harnesses, which covers the metal D-ring and screws on the gated ventral attachment point. Petzl said replacement kits will be supplied free of charge through its after-sales service. The company also said some users may be able to continue temporary use before the parts are replaced, depending on the harness configuration and the outcome of a specified manual test, but the CCPC notice in Ireland told consumers to stop use immediately and verify whether their unit is among those affected.
In a separate action issued the same day, the CCPC said Petzl is recalling certain batches of NOMIC U021AA00 ice axes because of a risk of handle failure that could cause a climber to fall. The Irish notice covers NOMIC units manufactured between December 2017 and June 2020, with serial numbers from 17 L 0000000 000 to 20 F 9999999 999. The regulator said previous generations of NOMIC, model U21 and U21 x, are not part of the recall, and about four affected units are in the Republic of Ireland.
Ice axe recall affects smaller batch
Petzl said in its February 23 recall notice that it had learned of several cases of ice axes breaking at the handle and that testing identified batches whose durability did not meet the company’s safety standards, particularly during intensive ice climbing and dry tooling use. The company said the failure can occur without warning signs or the possibility of prior detection. Irish consumers were told to stop using affected NOMIC axes immediately and contact Petzl after-sales service to arrange a replacement shaft under the recall process.
Under that process, customers must return the current ice axe shaft before a replacement is shipped, with Petzl covering shipping and return costs. For the harnesses, the Irish notice says consumers should inspect whether their unit falls within the affected serial number range and follow Petzl’s replacement instructions. The CCPC said users of both products should stop using affected equipment, check model details and serial numbers carefully, and contact the manufacturer for the specified remedy.