Pneumatic Office Chair Explosion

Pneumatic office chair explosion refers to the sudden explosive phenomenon caused by component defects in pneumatic lift-type swivel chairs, which mostly occurs in low-quality pneumatic rod products.

Explosion Causes

1. Gas Composition Issues: The qualified pneumatic rods from reputable manufacturers are filled with high-purity inert nitrogen, which is stable and safe to control. However, some unscrupulous manufacturers replace the safe nitrogen with cheap ordinary compressed air to save costs. The oxygen in the air continuously reacts with the metal inner wall through oxidation, causing continuous rusting and heat accumulation. This turns the pneumatic rod into a sealed, continuously pressurized pressure cooker, with the internal pressure soaring and the external tube wall becoming thinner and more brittle. Explosions may occur under high-temperature conditions or due to frequent friction.
2. Pneumatic Rod Tube Wall Issues: If the tube wall of the pneumatic rod is too thin, it cannot withstand normal pressure and is prone to rupture and explosion during long-term use or under external force influence.
3. Lack of Explosion-Proof Measures: Without an explosion-proof steel plate installed, when abnormal pressure occurs in the pneumatic rod, it cannot be effectively buffered and blocked, increasing the risk of explosion.
4. Improper Use: Frequent lifting and lowering cause a sudden increase in temperature, accelerating the expansion of the gas inside the pneumatic rod and the aging of metal components, thus triggering an explosion.

Explosion Cases

Over the past decade or so, more than forty such tragedies have occurred in China. For example, the chair explosion incident in Zhoushan, Zhejiang in 2007; in 2009, a 14-year-old boy in Jiaozhou, Shandong died after a top rod pierced into his body while adjusting a pneumatic chair; in 2013, Ms. Liu was sitting on an online-purchased lift swivel chair to blow-dry her hair when the pneumatic rod pierced through the chair like a shell, seriously injuring her and leaving her in a coma. More than ten metal fragments were removed from her abdomen and intestines; in 2017, an office chair explosion in Anhui damaged a computer case; in 2020, a spot check found that some staff chairs produced by certain enterprises posed an explosion risk. In all these cases, the pneumatic rods of the chairs exploded from the bottom and pierced through the human body.

Preventive Measures

1. Choose Genuine Products: It is advisable to select products from reputable manufacturers priced at over 200 yuan to ensure the quality of the pneumatic rods is qualified.
2. Check the Smoothness of Lifting and Lowering: When purchasing, check whether the lifting and lowering of the pneumatic rod are smooth and whether there is any stuttering or abnormal noise.
3. Confirm the Explosion-Proof Steel Plate: Ensure that an explosion-proof steel plate with a thickness of no less than 2 millimeters is installed between the seat cushion and the pneumatic rod.