Office Chair Spontaneous Combustion

Office chair spontaneous combustion is mainly related to non-compliance with flame-retardant standards, aging lithium batteries, and improper cleaning methods.

1. Non-compliant flame-retardant materials are a core hazard
According to the GB8624-2023 standard, the filling material of office chairs must meet the B1 flame-retardant requirement, meaning it should automatically extinguish within 30 seconds of contact with an open flame and the length of burning should not exceed 20 centimeters. However, a 2023 inspection in Longgang District, Shenzhen, found that 35% of the chairs purchased by enterprises did not meet the standard, and 12.5% of imported chairs were taken off the shelves because they met EU standards but not Chinese national standards. Insufficient addition of flame retardants significantly reduces the material's fire resistance. For example, when a circuit aging causes a short circuit in a leather chair, if the filling material has poor flame resistance, it may quickly smolder and develop into an open flame.

2. Risk of lithium battery aging in electric chairs
Office chairs with electric functions rely on lithium batteries for power. National standards stipulate that their service life should not exceed 24 months. Batteries used beyond this period may generate high temperatures due to internal short circuits, electrolyte decomposition, and other issues, and may even cause spontaneous combustion. For example, a leather swivel chair spontaneous combustion incident that occurred in a technology park in Beijing in 2023 was investigated to be caused by a lithium battery overheating due to circuit aging.

3. Improper cleaning methods exacerbate the danger
When using 75% alcohol to wipe chairs, the flash point of the residual liquid is only 13°C, which is much lower than room temperature. If the alcohol has not completely evaporated and comes into contact with a power source or high-temperature components (such as the charging port of an electric chair), it may instantly reach the flash point and cause combustion. In addition, after the alcohol evaporates, it may corrode the surface material of the chair, further reducing its flame-retardant performance.

Recommended preventive measures:

• When purchasing, give priority to chairs that have passed national standard certification, paying special attention to the flame-retardant grade of the filling material and the battery life label;
• Regularly check the battery status of electric chairs, and immediately replace batteries that are expired or bulging;
• Avoid using high-concentration alcohol for cleaning; choose neutral cleaning agents and ensure complete drying before use;
• Office spaces should be equipped with smoke alarms and regularly check for circuit aging.