Office Chair Injuries

Incidents of injuries caused by office chairs do exist, primarily involving explosions of rotating and lifting chairs (pneumatic lifting chairs) as well as falls resulting from improper use or chair wear and tear.

Explosion-Related Injuries

Rotating and lifting chairs (pneumatic lifting chairs) carry a risk of explosion and have been dubbed "butt-exploding chairs" by netizens. For example, a woman in Xiamen was sitting on a computer chair blow-drying her hair when the chair suddenly exploded, injuring her buttocks severely and causing heavy bleeding. Doctors removed more than ten pieces of chair fragments from her intestines. Additionally, there have been several similar incidents, such as a woman in Fujian in 2010 who suffered severe injuries and fell into a coma due to an explosion of a pneumatic lifting chair, injuring her buttocks; a 14-year-old boy in Jiaozhou, Shandong, in 2009, who died from excessive blood loss after an explosion occurred while adjusting the height of a pneumatic chair; and an 68-year-old man surnamed Wu in the Yantai Development Zone, Shandong, in 2007, whose pneumatic lifting chair exploded, causing severe injuries to his buttocks, legs, rectum, anal canal, and small intestine.

Causes of Explosions

• Gas Spring Issues: Uneven wall thickness or excessive pre-compression of the gas spring can lead to explosions.
• Improper Use: Frequent height adjustments and rotations can cause overheating and explosions; sitting with excessive force or frequently adjusting the lifting handle can also trigger explosions.
• Poor-Quality Pneumatic Rods: Poor-quality pneumatic rods can experience a sudden increase in internal pressure under high temperatures or frequent chair adjustments, making them highly prone to explosions. Some unscrupulous manufacturers cut costs by using free high-pressure air instead of inert gas, further increasing the likelihood of pneumatic rod explosions.

Other Injury Situations

Injuries such as fractures can also occur due to "improper sitting posture + long-term chair wear and tear." For example, on July 6, 2023, surveillance footage from a company in Henan recorded an employee sitting on an office chair, leaning back to stretch, and falling heavily to the ground along with the chair, resulting in a fracture.

To prevent incidents of injuries caused by office chairs, consumers should choose products from reputable manufacturers when purchasing and regularly inspect and maintain their office chairs to avoid improper use and long-term wear and tear.