CCTV Exposes Office Chairs

CCTV has exposed that unqualified office chairs have issues such as a relatively high overall failure rate and multiple specific unqualified items, involving multiple enterprises.

Overall Unqualified Situation: According to the sampling inspection results of the State Administration for Market Regulation, there is a certain proportion of unqualified products among different batches of office chairs. In one sampling inspection, 90 batches of products from 90 enterprises in 11 provinces and cities were inspected, and 21 batches were unqualified, with a batch failure rate of 23.3%. In another sampling inspection, 101 batches of products from 101 enterprises across the country were inspected, and 15 batches were unqualified, with a failure rate of 14.9%.

Specific Unqualified Items and Hazards:

• Stability Unqualified: This is the item with the most unqualified products detected, totaling 7 batches. Office chairs with poor stability are prone to tipping over when the user leans forward, backward, or sits sideways, which may lead to injuries and pose safety hazards.
• Caster Reciprocating Wear Unqualified: Five batches of products failed this item. The quality of casters is related to the service life of office chairs.
• Formaldehyde Emission Unqualified: Four batches of products have excessive formaldehyde, which can cause harm to human health.
• Gas Spring Safety Issues: Most of the unqualified products are office swivel chairs. Poor-quality gas springs have thin tube walls, impure inert gases, or are filled with compressed air instead. Additionally, excessive temperature during repeated seat lifting and lowering can trigger explosions. Some office chairs do not have explosion-proof steel plates with a thickness of no less than 2 millimeters installed between the gas spring and the seat cushion, failing to effectively prevent explosion injuries.
• Five-Star Base Issues: If the metal five-star base has thin tube walls or poor strength, it is prone to breakage during daily use, causing the user to fall and get injured.

Enterprises Involved in Unqualified Products: In Guangdong's inspections, it was found that 7 batches of office chairs from 7 enterprises, including Foshan Shouyu Furniture Co., Ltd., failed the stability item. Products from multiple enterprises such as Anji Baocheng Furniture Co., Ltd. failed the caster reciprocating wear item. The staff chairs produced by Dongguan Linsheng Industrial Co., Ltd. failed the high and low-temperature resistance performance item. Products from multiple enterprises such as Shanghai Xingaofan Furniture Manufacturing Co., Ltd. did not have explosion-proof steel plates installed, failing the safety item inspection.