Office Chair Scrapping Criteria

The scrapping criteria for office chairs are based on the 'General Office Equipment and Furniture Allocation Standards for Central Administrative Units' (CZ [2016] No. 27) issued by the Ministry of Finance, with a minimum service life of 15 full years or more. Reaching the specified service life does not mandate scrapping; a comprehensive assessment based on actual usage conditions is required.

I. Basic Service Life Requirements
According to regulations, the minimum service life of an office chair is 15 years, which serves as the fundamental time standard for determining whether it meets scrapping conditions. If the chair has not been in use for 15 years, it should not be scrapped arbitrarily in principle. Priority should be given to extending its service life through repairs and maintenance.

II. Mandatory Scrapping Conditions
Scrapping can be applied for if any of the following conditions are met:

1. Service Life or Technical Failure: The chair has reached the minimum service life of 15 years, and its technical specifications can no longer meet basic usage requirements (e.g., structural looseness, reduced load-bearing capacity).
2. Irreparable Damage or No Repair Value: Due to accidental damage (e.g., breakage, deformation) or long-term use causing severe wear to core components (e.g., gas cylinders, wheels), the repair cost approaches or exceeds 30% of the new purchase price, or the chair cannot guarantee safety and functionality after repair.
3. Excessive Costs Due to Aging or Technological Obsolescence: Material aging (e.g., leather cracking, foam collapse) or technological advancements (e.g., the prevalence of new ergonomic designs) result in frequent repairs or increased energy consumption during continued use, with the overall usage cost significantly higher than the new purchase cost.

III. Supplementary Scrapping Bases
In practice, the following situations can also serve as references for scrapping:

• Repair Cost Ratio: If the cost of a single repair or cumulative repair costs approach 30% of the new purchase price, it indicates poor economic efficiency for continued repairs.
• Technological Upgrade Needs: If functional obsolescence necessitates an upgrade (e.g., to be compatible with new office systems) and the upgrade cost exceeds 30% of the new purchase price, scrapping the old chair and purchasing new equipment is more cost-effective.

IV. Precautions
The scrapping process must strictly adhere to the unit's internal asset management regulations. Typically, a written application must be submitted, accompanied by photographs, repair records, and other supporting materials, for review by the asset management department before execution. Office chairs that do not meet scrapping criteria but require replacement can be handled through reallocation, donation, or other means to avoid resource waste.