Decathlon UK

Private and voluntary organisations · Private limited company

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First report 29 Mar 2023•Latest report 29 Mar 2023

Reports, concerns and published responses

Reports over time

Reports naming this recipient by issue year.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Reports
1

Naming this recipient

Published responses
0%

Found for named reports

Concerns addressed
0

Across all linked responses

Stated actions
0

Described in responses

Concerns and recipient responses

Statements from Decathlon UK linked to the concerns in each report. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

  1. Surrey

    AI-generated summary

    Angela Jean Kearn · Prevention of Future Deaths report

    This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

    Report summary

    Angela Jean Kearn, aged 63, collapsed and died while snorkelling in Egypt on 13 January 2020. The inquest identified immersion pulmonary oedema as the cause of death, with hypertension, hormone replacement therapy and use of a full-face snorkel mask each contributing more than minimally. Concerns included limited medical awareness of immersion pulmonary oedema and insufficiently publicised safety warnings about using full-face snorkel masks with cardiovascular or respiratory conditions.

    Read the report on judiciary.uk

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Decathlon UK; that does not assign responsibility.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Failure to provide sufficiently prominent warnings about full-face mask risks to affected users

    Wider context from the report

    “ix.) Decathlon have recently updated their website in the United Kingdom to include the following, “It is not recommended to use this product if you have any ongoing respiratory or cardiovascular issues including but not limited to chest infection, asthma, high/raised blood pressure (hypertension), heart disease or angina etc. If you have any doubts or questions relating to this please check with your medical practitioner.” The same additional wording is being translated and added to all websites of the company. x.) The packaging of the mask has been revised to show a pictogram to warn against use of the mask by those with heart or other cardiovascular conditions. xi.) The concern is that many million of the full face masks have been sold and the safety concerns about their use by those with ongoing cardiovascular and respiratory issues has not been widely publicised or brought to the attention of those who already own the masks. Those purchased before 2017 had no warning in relation to these matters and the warning included in the instructions from 2017 inwards was not prominent nor sufficient to alert prospective purchasers to the hazards of use which have now been identified. ”
    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Decathlon UK; that does not assign responsibility.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Lack of medical-profession awareness and training on Immersion Pulmonary Oedema

    Wider context from the report

    “Awareness of Immersion Pulmonary Oedema in the medical profession: i.) Concerns were raised by the medical witnesses that there is very little awareness of Immersion Pulmonary Oedema in the medical profession and that it is not addressed in medical training, as a consequence, it can be missed by those treating the condition and is often mistaken for drowning. ”
    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Decathlon UK; that does not assign responsibility.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Failure of mask safety testing to replicate general-public use conditions

    Wider context from the report

    “The Full Face Mask ii.) At the time that the Easybreath full face snorkel mask was developed by Decathlon there were no United Kingdom or European Standards which were applicable to a full face snorkelling mask. iii.) In the course of its development, Decathlon commissioned a number of tests to be undertaken on it, but it was accepted in evidence that the tests undertaken did not replicate the conditions of the use of the mask by the general public. iv.) Decathlon have sold over 16 million of the masks. Other such masks are also on the market. v.) The Decathlon usage instructions for the full face mask, contained in small print, have been amended over time. From the 17th August 2015 the instructions included a warning that you must make sure that you are in good physical condition before snorkelling and that the mask is not suitable for swimming. vi.) Further tests were undertaken and an Ergomedical report considered the issue of whether use of the mask and inhalation through the mask’s dead space gave rise to excess carbon dioxide inhalation. The report concluded “we strongly recommend to advise against wearing Easybreath masks to people who suffer from underlying cardio-respiratory conditions.” vii.) As a result, Decathlon amended their instructions for use to include that the mask should not be used if the user has unstable cardio-respiratory pathologies, that the mask is to be used under conditions of submaximal exercise (mild to moderate) and that it is not suitable for active swimming. viii.) Development of a United Kingdom standard in relation to this type of mask is now being put in train but has not yet begun and is likely to take some time. ”
    Open source report

    Source evidence

    How this individual concern was interpreted

    PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to Decathlon UK; that does not assign responsibility.

    PFD Monitor interpretation

    Lack of applicable standards for full-face snorkelling masks

    Wider context from the report

    “The Full Face Mask ii.) At the time that the Easybreath full face snorkel mask was developed by Decathlon there were no United Kingdom or European Standards which were applicable to a full face snorkelling mask. iii.) In the course of its development, Decathlon commissioned a number of tests to be undertaken on it, but it was accepted in evidence that the tests undertaken did not replicate the conditions of the use of the mask by the general public. iv.) Decathlon have sold over 16 million of the masks. Other such masks are also on the market. v.) The Decathlon usage instructions for the full face mask, contained in small print, have been amended over time. From the 17th August 2015 the instructions included a warning that you must make sure that you are in good physical condition before snorkelling and that the mask is not suitable for swimming. vi.) Further tests were undertaken and an Ergomedical report considered the issue of whether use of the mask and inhalation through the mask’s dead space gave rise to excess carbon dioxide inhalation. The report concluded “we strongly recommend to advise against wearing Easybreath masks to people who suffer from underlying cardio-respiratory conditions.” vii.) As a result, Decathlon amended their instructions for use to include that the mask should not be used if the user has unstable cardio-respiratory pathologies, that the mask is to be used under conditions of submaximal exercise (mild to moderate) and that it is not suitable for active swimming. viii.) Development of a United Kingdom standard in relation to this type of mask is now being put in train but has not yet begun and is likely to take some time. ”
    Open source report
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Information checked against published PFD reports and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026