Evaluation of Toxic Office Chairs
Evaluations reveal that some office chairs pose serious safety hazards and are dubbed 'toxic office chairs.' The main issues are concentrated in explosion risks, structural fractures, excessive harmful substances, and other hazards, with a particularly high failure rate for swivel chairs.
1. Explosion Risks Poor-quality gas springs are a core hazard. Some products may explode due to thin tube walls, impure inert gases, or the use of compressed air as a substitute, especially during frequent lifting or in high-temperature environments. For example, in 2017, an office chair explosion in Anhui damaged a computer host, and in 2009, a 14-year-old boy in Jiaozhou, Shandong, died from a swivel chair explosion. Additionally, office chairs without explosion-proof steel plates (with a thickness of at least 2 millimeters) also have safety compliance issues, as seen in some products from companies like Shanghai Xingaofan and Dongguan Xieji.
2. Structural Fractures The five-star base of swivel chairs, as a load-bearing component, may fracture during daily use if the tube walls are too thin or the strength is insufficient. During inspections, static load tests on the base revealed fractures in some products due to quality issues with the five-star base, especially when used by heavier individuals or during frequent movement.
3. Excessive Harmful Substances Some office chairs haveไธๅๆ ผ (unqualified) formaldehyde emissions, which can pose health risks with long-term exposure. Formaldehyde mainly comes from chair surface materials and adhesives, and excessive levels can cause respiratory diseases, skin allergies, and other issues, particularly affecting sensitive groups like children and pregnant women.
4. Other Hazards These includeไธๅๆ ผ (unqualified) caster wear resistance (affecting service life), and substandard stability (prone to tipping over when leaning forward, backward, or sideways). For example, some products may suddenly tip over during inclined use due to design flaws or loose components, causing accidental injuries.
High Failure Rate for Swivel Chairs In this inspection, swivel chairs had a high failure rate, with all 17 batches ofไธๅๆ ผ (unqualified) products being swivel chairs, accounting for 81% of the totalไธๅๆ ผ (unqualified) batches. The State Administration for Market Regulation advises consumers to prioritize products with safety certifications and pay attention to the quality of key components like gas springs and five-star bases, avoiding 'three-no' products (no brand, no factory name, no production license).
