Dangers of Office Chairs

The main danger of office chairs stems from the pneumatic rods, which pose an explosion risk and can cause serious injuries or property damage in severe cases.

Pneumatic rods are essentially miniature high-pressure vessels. Legitimate products are filled with high-purity inert nitrogen gas, which is chemically stable and can withstand pressures of up to 2000 pounds, ensuring controllable safety. However, some unscrupulous manufacturers cut costs by using cheap compressed air instead of nitrogen. The oxygen in the air continuously reacts with the metal inner walls through oxidation, leading to rust and heat buildup, turning the pneumatic rod into a “sealed pressure cooker”. As the internal pressure rises continuously, the outer walls gradually become thinner and more brittle, potentially failing suddenly or even exploding under extreme conditions. Additionally, factors such as overly thin walls of the pneumatic rod, insufficient purity of the inert gas, and frequent lifting and lowering causing rapid temperature increases can also trigger explosions.

There have been numerous dangerous incidents caused by issues with pneumatic rods. In 2013, Ms. Liu from Xiamen was sitting on a swivel chair purchased online while blow-drying her hair when the chair suddenly exploded. A 3-centimeter-thick steel rod pierced her body, with fragments embedding into her uterus, and the floor was instantly stained with blood. In 2009, a 14-year-old boy in Jiaozhou, Shandong, died after a top rod from a pneumatic chair pierced his body while he was adjusting it. In 2017, an office chair in Anhui exploded, damaging a computer case. These cases demonstrate that issues with pneumatic rods not only threaten personal safety but can also cause property damage.

According to a spot check by the State Administration for Market Regulation, the failure rate of office chairs reached 23.3% in 2020, with 17 batches being swivel chairs. The main problems were that the pneumatic rods failed to meet high- and low-temperature resistance standards and lacked explosion-proof steel plates. Preventive measures include: prioritizing the purchase of products from legitimate manufacturers, with a recommended price of over 200 yuan; checking whether the pneumatic rod lifts smoothly, avoiding jams or unusual noises; ensuring that an explosion-proof steel plate with a thickness of at least 2 millimeters is installed between the seat cushion and the pneumatic rod to cushion the impact of an explosion. During daily use, avoid frequently lifting and lowering the chair to reduce the risk of rapid temperature increases in the pneumatic rod. Additionally, regularly inspect the appearance of the pneumatic rod, and replace it immediately if thinning walls, rust, or air leaks are detected.