Swivel Office Chair Explosion

The explosion of swivel office chairs refers to the sudden explosion phenomenon caused by component defects in pneumatic lift-type swivel chairs, which mostly occurs in low-quality pneumatic rod products. Here is a detailed introduction:

Explosion Principle: The pneumatic rod is essentially a miniature high-pressure vessel, similar in principle to a bicycle pump, which achieves lifting and lowering by using internal high-pressure gas to push a piston. Legitimate products are filled with inert nitrogen, which can withstand thousands of kilograms of pressure and are relatively safe. However, when unscrupulous manufacturers replace it with compressed air, the oxygen in the air can erode the metal inner wall, making the steel brittle. Coupled with the heat generated by daily lifting and lowering friction, the internal pressure rises steadily. Under conditions such as exposure to summer sun, sudden sitting, or the presence of tiny cracks inside, an explosion may occur.

Explosion Cases: In 2007, a seat explosion incident occurred in Zhoushan, Zhejiang; in 2009, a 14-year-old boy in Jiaozhou, Shandong, died after a top rod from a pneumatic chair pierced his body while adjusting it; in 2013, when Ms. Liu was blowing her hair while sitting on an online-purchased lift swivel chair, the pneumatic rod burst, and a steel column with a diameter of 3 centimeters (also said to be about 2 centimeters) pierced through her body, with more than ten metal fragments extracted from her abdomen and intestines; a 68-year-old man in Yantai had his buttocks severely mangled by the explosion, requiring dozens of stitches to close the wound; 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. Over the past decade, more than forty similar tragedies have occurred in China.

Preventive Measures:

• Choose legitimate products: It is recommended to select products from legitimate manufacturers priced at over 200 yuan, as these products usually have stricter quality control, reducing usage risks.
• Inspect the pneumatic rod: Check if the lifting and lowering of the pneumatic rod are smooth, and ensure that a blast-proof steel plate with a thickness of at least 2 millimeters is installed between the seat cushion and the pneumatic rod. The blast-proof steel plate can effectively block fragments from an explosion, reducing harm to the human body.
• Use correctly: Avoid violent operations during use, and never disassemble the pneumatic rod without authorization. Violent operations and unauthorized disassembly may damage the structure of the pneumatic rod, triggering an explosion.
• Pay attention to abnormalities promptly: If the chair starts to make hissing sounds or wobbles unsteadily, take it seriously as this may be a sign of a problem with the pneumatic rod. Stop using it immediately and have it inspected or replaced.