Hefei Office Chair Explosion

An office chair in Hefei indeed exploded, causing no injuries but resulting in property damage.

1. Event Overview
   According to a post by a netizen from Hefei, at around 3 p.m. on October 24th, a black swivel office chair with a lifting mechanism suddenly exploded in an office. The colleague using the chair had left the seat at the time of the incident, so no one was injured. Photos from the scene showed that the chair had broken into two pieces at the pivot point, with the metal tube severely deformed and cracked. The floor was littered with debris, the wheels had fallen off, and the shockwave from the explosion had also caused the adjacent computer tower to crack.

2. Possible Causes of the Explosion
   Office chair explosions are usually related to quality defects or improper use of the pneumatic rod (lifting mechanism). The pneumatic rod is filled with high-pressure gas (such as nitrogen). If the sealing structure ages, the material strength is insufficient, or the filled gas is impure (mixed with oxygen or other combustibles), a sudden increase in internal pressure may occur under high temperatures, frequent lifting, or external impact, leading to the bursting of the metal tube. In this incident, the chair exploded just two months after purchase, possibly involving substandard production standards or installation defects in the pneumatic rod.

3. Safety Risks and Prevention

• Risk Points: Inferior pneumatic rods may have issues such as insufficient wall thickness, welding defects, or gas purity problems, which can increase the risk of metal fatigue after long-term use.
• Prevention Measures:
  • When purchasing, choose products that have passed national safety certifications (such as the GB/T 3325-2016 standard) and avoid low-priced, inferior chairs;
  • Regularly inspect the appearance of the pneumatic rod. If gas leakage, unusual noises, or difficulty in lifting are detected, stop using it immediately;
  • Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight or placing it near heat sources (such as radiators) to prevent the gas inside the pneumatic rod from expanding;
  • Lift and lower the chair gently and reduce frequent, rapid adjustments.

4. Event Warning
   Although this incident caused no injuries, it exposed potential loopholes in the quality supervision of office furniture. Consumers should raise their safety awareness, companies need to strengthen product quality inspections, and relevant departments should improve market inspection mechanisms to jointly reduce similar risks.