Office Chair Exposure
CCTV has exposed various issues with office chairs, including a relatively high non-compliance rate, explosion risks in swivel chairs, and other safety hazards.
I. Non-compliance Rate and Main Issues
According to the national supervision and random inspection results for office chairs released by the State Administration for Market Regulation, out of 90 batches of products from 90 enterprises in 11 provinces and cities, 21 batches were found to be non-compliant, with a non-compliance discovery rate of 23.3%. Non-compliant office chairs have various issues, such as base fractures, caster detachment, excessive formaldehyde levels, and even explosion risks. These problems not only affect the normal use of office chairs but may also pose a threat to the safety of users.
II. Prominent Issues with Swivel Chairs
Among the 21 batches of non-compliant office chairs, 17 batches were swivel chairs. Swivel chairs typically use gas springs (pneumatic rods) for seat height adjustment. If the safety of the pneumatic rod is not up to standard, it may explode under extreme conditions. The main reasons for pneumatic rod explosions include substandard quality, such as insufficient inert gas density, thin tube walls, aging and cracking during use, and excessive temperatures caused by repeated and frequent height adjustments. To effectively protect against the explosion risk of pneumatic rods, it is recommended to install a certain thickness of explosion-proof steel plate between the pneumatic rod and the swivel chair seat cushion to enhance safety.
III. Other Safety Hazards
Non-compliant office chairs also involve issues such as product flame retardancy, caster reciprocating wear safety, and formaldehyde emission levels. Among these, excessive formaldehyde emissions are particularly noteworthy. Long-term exposure to low concentrations of formaldehyde can cause symptoms such as dizziness and fatigue; at higher concentrations, formaldehyde is highly irritating and can cause toxicity to the nervous system, immune system, and liver. Therefore, when purchasing office chairs, attention should be paid to environmental protection indicators such as formaldehyde emission levels to ensure safety in use.
